Clear skies, light winds and Tuna galore. Point the bow north and you will find them. Surface bust-ups everywhere, signalled by the cartwheeling birds and white water as big longtails and truckloads of Mack Tuna tear into the balled-up baitfish.

 

Flying fish taking to the wing, garfish greyhounding across the flats and terrified bait balls that hug your boat and will flood into your anchor well if they can – all fleeing the barrel-shaped torpedos of the bay. 

 

Fishos struggle to stifle their pent-up excitement as they launch their lures past the melee. Cranking flat chat ain’t fast enough and adrenalin charges through their veins as not one, but several, big black barrels bear down on their lures. 

 

The take is explosive. There is no pause, no headshakes. Just line peeling at a blistering pace and that sweet sound of your drag squealing in protest. The adrenalin is peaking, your heart pounding, then finally, some distance off, the fish slows. 

 

The fight is on, and the battle begins. Thumping, deep diving, circling stubbornness that defines the fight of a muscle-bound tuna. Pumped-up fishos haul their exhausted adversaries aboard, they fire off a quick happy snap or two and spear them back into the briny. Then they look up, spot the next target and cast again …..

 

This could be you. Fun with mates, fun with the family. Fairly simple too. Go armed with a good range of stickbaits, metal slugs, jerkshad-styled plastics and jigheads to match the baitfish of the day. Tie them on your high-speed spin gear and go hunt them down.

 

The whole of Hervey Bay is Tuna central in autumn. From the calm waters of Platypus Bay, protected from the trade winds, to the wide open central and northern bay, and even the western bay when the winds blow offshore. Tuna everywhere. 

 

You don’t even need a boat to get you tuna fix in these parts. We have several great local guides with their finger on the pulse. Hook up with Andrew from Hervey Bay Fly and Sportsfishing and let the tuna chase begin.