REPORTS of southern bluefin tuna entering NSW waters have started to filter through social media, with fishos encountering bluefin busting up off Bermagui earlier this week. With any luck, favourable currents will soon bring these fantastic gamefish into range of fishers out of other ports including Ulladulla, Jervis Bay, Wollongong and Sydney. Please remember there is a bag limit of 1 SBT per day. Given the size of these fish, and taking into the account the need for large ice boxes and plenty of ice to keep them in tip top condition, many keen anglers have self-imposed boat limits of 1 or 2 fish and release all other SBT they hook up on. The good news is that studies by Australian researchers show very high survival rates for SBT caught and released by recreational fishers. So if you’re lucky enough to enjoy some tuna action this season, think about how much fresh SBT you and your mates really need and release all the fish you can’t use. This way you get the best of both worlds – a great feed of fresh fish and some drag screaming action on hard-running tuna!
