Tackling The Gulf’s Tricky Tuna by Jason Jesse

To most anglers the southern Gulf port of Karumba is the gateway to great barramundi missions and nailing a feed of big grunter or fingermark. But what if the fishing gods are not smiling on you and, for whatever reason, you end up in the Gulf smack bang in the middle of winter?

During winter the barra go to sleep, and while the odd fish is available for the most switched on angler, they are not in the numbers that make dream trips. But do not despair! There is a little surprise packet that is not that well explored - the northern longtail tuna.

Offshore from Karumba, the commercial fleet have been netting these areas for years for shark and grey mackerel. However, they do not target the tuna so you may find yourself alone with acres of these little battlers to fight. All that is required is a decent boat and a bit of seamanship.

To get to the tuna just follow the leads from the river and head straight out from Karumba to the west...