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Thread: Bribie Island World Longtail Tuna Challenge 2012

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    150

    Default Bribie Island World Longtail Tuna Challenge 2012

    Fished this comp last weekend and had a whale of a time. Have attached some pics. What a lovely little fishery an hour or so out of Brisbane. Onto the grounds within 30 mins from the boat ramp and fishing anywhere between half a mile to a mile off the beach. Fishing over sand in 30m of water with little or no shark issues…..love it !

    Fishing was tough according to the locals and it was more a case of stalking individual fish that were targeting one or two baitfish on the surface than casting flies into busting up bait balls as one would imagine is usually the case. Often one had to cast at a bow wave or simply a very small swirl on the surface and the fish were very boat shy indeed – we had the ideal weapon for it though and with the 4 stroke were able to idle downwind and get close enough to get our shots.

    Ended up with 4 fish for the weekend and dropped another 3, taking out champion team, champion angler and runner up angler. If that is a slow weekend – imagine when it fires !!!!!

    Loved my TFO TiCrx 12 weight for this – throwing a Leviathan 30ft intermediate head onto running line, 2 pulls and it was out of there. Also switched down to a TFO BVK 9 with a Rio wf sinking line which was a lot of fun on 6kg tippet hooked up to a 9.5kg fish. Fish we caught ranged between 8.5 and 12 kg which are quite respectable – they run up to 25 – 35kg – would love to have bent the rod with one of those.

    Reel on the 12 weight was the TFO 425 - worked great with a lovely smooth drag and heaps of backing for those long tuna runs....have just received a BVK IV which looks the goods for a casting 12 weight rig.

    Patterns that worked best seemed to be pink over white surf candies (see pic) which I tie with Fishient’s “Just Add H2O” slinky fibre and sometimes add in a little flouro fibre.

    Have to get back there soon – it was a lovely warm up for the forthcoming yellowfin and bluefin tuna season off Sydney – with makos to keep you sharp…..mmmm winters are not all bad !!!!

    Thanks to TFO, Tibor and Fishient for their support.

    Steve

    Brad fish 2 small.jpgFirst fish small.jpgfish 1 closeup small.jpgIMG-20120519-00067.jpgLonka Candy.jpgsecond fish small.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    318

    Default

    Awesome work Steve and Brad. All the more meritorious because you guys were up against many local anglers with tons of experience in that fishery and in the annual comp.

    A question about the BVK 9wt. Their website say the BVK range is designed with a high rating for "presentation" but is not so high on "lifting" power - my 8wt BVK is true to that description - great to cast and enough grunt for bonefish etc but I'd be reluctant to put it up against a solid beast of a fish. And those longtails slug it out down deep with stubborn circling once the long runs are whipped out of them. So does the BVK range take a bit of a step up in the grunt department when you get to 9wt?
    The highest form of existence is play.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    150

    Default

    Thanks mate - tough question. I have the BVK 7, 8 and 9. Having only done bones and triggers on the 8, hard to tell how big the step up is to the 9. The fish I got on the 9 was 9.5kg whereas the one I got on the 12 was 8.5, both on 6kg tippet. I thought the fish on the 12 was quite easy but had a bit of a tussle with the one on the 9...then when I checked the drags after the second fight on the 9 found that I was a bit wussy and had the Tibor Bonefish set almost half of the drag I had on the TFO 425 on the 12 for that fish...yes I am a cautious bugger when chasing light tackle conquests.

    I found the end game with the in interminably long but would not have wanted the 8 in that situation for sure...I found that with zero rod angle and short lifts and winds as you do when strapped into a game rig worked best...fold away the top half and use the butt...

    Next time I go I may try lighter - the feel on the 9 was way more intense than the 12 - but then bugger the feel - we are there to get them in too...all a trade off.

    Was fishing the 9 deeper than the 12 - no doubt it would present well but would need a floater on it to evaluate - better go back there - ASAP

    Steve

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    150

    Default

    Thanks mate - tough question. I have the BVK 7, 8 and 9. Having only done bones and triggers on the 8, hard to tell how big the step up is to the 9. The fish I got on the 9 was 9.5kg whereas the one I got on the 12 was 8.5, both on 6kg tippet. I thought the fish on the 12 was quite easy but had a bit of a tussle with the one on the 9...then when I checked the drags after the second fight on the 9 found that I was a bit wussy and had the Tibor Bonefish set almost half of the drag I had on the TFO 425 on the 12 for that fish...yes I am a cautious bugger when chasing light tackle conquests.

    I found the end game with the in interminably long but would not have wanted the 8 in that situation for sure...I found that with zero rod angle and short lifts and winds as you do when strapped into a game rig worked best...fold away the top half and use the butt...

    Next time I go I may try lighter - the feel on the 9 was way more intense than the 12 - but then bugger the feel - we are there to get them in too...all a trade off.

    Was fishing the 9 deeper than the 12 - no doubt it would present well but would need a floater on it to evaluate - better go back there - ASAP

    Steve

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