Thread: Yellowfin

Originally Posted by MB

I'm not sure what the point of this discussion is. Some guys want to catch a yellowfin. Everyone has different tastes and different fish suit different styles of cooking.

I have caught mine some years ago- got the photo thats enough for me - now want a kingi over 35KG

Originally Posted by Shearer

I see a Bluefin sold at a Tokyo market for $3.1 million yesterday. Would make your takeaways pretty expensive

It would want to taste better than the ones I've tried.

where are you going for a look? assuming your in Arrowtown? so headed to Jacksons or Greymouth? loads of salt ice in Greymouth and there's some at the fish place in Jacksons and at the last gas station before Jacksons too. There have only been a few caught out of Milford so far. but they are on their way!

Originally Posted by robhughes-games

where are you going for a look? assuming your in Arrowtown? so headed to Jacksons or Greymouth? loads of salt ice in Greymouth and there's some at the fish place in Jacksons and at the last gas station before Jacksons too. There have only been a few caught out of Milford so far. but they are on their way!

Yes, located in Arrowtown. Headed for Milford. My son was in there the week before Christmas and saw what he thought were tuna from a cruise boat so they must be just starting to head down that way.

Thanks for the info on Jacksons Bay and Greymouth. Rob - I'll keep that in mind for any future trips to the West Coast.

Some entertaining responses regarding tuna in this thread.

I love the taste. Way better than any white fish, just like a steak.
I got a 105kg last year. Sent a sample to Hills labs for mercury tests and it was 3mg/kg which is real high. Commercial limits for fish is like 0.3mg/kg.
I'm going to test the next 30kg model. It's likley an age/ accumulated issue. Might be keeping the little ones and throwing the big ones back.

Any action out of Napier?

First Yellow Fin Tuna landed off New Plymouth today.... They have finally arrived!!

Originally Posted by Double_massive

First Yellow Fin Tuna landed off New Plymouth today.... They have finally arrived!!

Who's boat

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Was commercially fishing tuna in a past life. MaF required a course be completed in catch handling as a prerequisit. The essentail points werw as follows

1. Boat the fish asap. A long fight would create heat buildup and destroy the flesh quality making it
unacceptable to the export market .


2, Gaff only in the head
3. The fish should be killed, bled, gutted and gilled and placed in an ice slurry within one minute of capture
3. Kill by use of a core driven into top of head to destroy the brain
4. To beed, pierce lateral line just behind pectoral and just forward of tail.
5. Cut to free gut around anal vent.
6. Use very sharp short blade to remove gill set without cutting the throat. Pull gills and guts out forwards. The belly of fish not to be opened at all. 6. Make sure belly cavity is filled with salted ice before placing fish into salt ice slurry.
Any improper processing would render fish unsaleable at export auctions.

Game fishing fever is in full swing. Boats backed up to the road from the boat ramp at Tutukaka. This is Northland, not Auckland, but you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise! Probably getting on for $50 million worth of trailer boats alone, then there's the launches in the marina.

Petrol businesses will be having a bonanza

Originally Posted by Woody

Was commercially fishing tuna in a past life. MaF required a course be completed in catch handling as a prerequisit. The essentail points werw as follows

1. Boat the fish asap. A long fight would create heat buildup and destroy the flesh quality making it
unacceptable to the export market .


2, Gaff only in the head
3. The fish should be killed, bled, gutted and gilled and placed in an ice slurry within one minute of capture
3. Kill by use of a core driven into top of head to destroy the brain
4. To beed, pierce lateral line just behind pectoral and just forward of tail.
5. Cut to free gut around anal vent.
6. Use very sharp short blade to remove gill set without cutting the throat. Pull gills and guts out forwards. The belly of fish not to be opened at all. 6. Make sure belly cavity is filled with salted ice before placing fish into salt ice slurry.
Any improper processing would render fish unsaleable at export auctions.

I'd like the see number three carried out successfully.

Made mine from 10mm ss tube. Short handle welded on top end. Cutting end ground to sharp edge. Push down vertically from top of skull from a point just behind eyes. Just a form of ikiing. The bleeding cut behind pectoral each side done with a 12-15mm deep short blade. Hardest part was clear gills completly from rear gill plates.

I meant kill, clean, and ice in under a minute.

Oh, sorry. Yes it needs two men on the job and wet cloth, knifes, ice all handy to access. Not easy at all, depending on crew size, sea state and other gear-fish hooked, boat control etc.