IT’S ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT WE catch
SMALL MOVES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
who we are
Being a Tuna Champion means doing it better
and knowing more about what you’re catching
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Ambassadors

Meet our Ambassadors, pick up some hot tips on the best fishing practices for SBT and even find out how to channel your inner chef. Let’s go!

All Ambassadors

Paul W & fam

@ifishtv @ifishchick @jetreef

Cranbourne VIC

I love fresh SBT - but look after that delicate flesh the second it hits the deck! Bleed and gut it then stuff it with ice to lower the core temp.

Paul W & fam

Cranbourne VIC

Eat as much of the fish as you can without freezing it. If I freeze it, I soak the fillets in marinade for 6-12 hours in the fridge, then vac-seal and freeze. It's almost as good as fresh and lasts at least 4 months without spoiling.

CRISTY: Once you find tuna on the sounder, keep working the area. You'll eventually get a bite window. It’s better than leaving fish to try and find fish. JET: Try to match the colour and size of lures to what the fish are feeding on at the time. The stomach contents of a fish you keep are a clue for your lure choice.

Stuart N

@Stuart-Nicols-Personalised-Sea-Charters

Eaglehawk Neck TAS

SBT have been a big part of my life for 20 years. I still love taking customers out to experience catching this amazing fish.

Stuart N

Eaglehawk Neck TAS

When the fish are on, it gets very exciting on deck, with multiple rods going off at once. Among the frenzy, I remind customers to think about how much meat they want to take home, to only take what they'll use, and to release other fish to fight another day.

There's no point landing every fish if the meat will go to waste. It's the best of both worlds - an amazing experience catching these hard-fighting fish and taking home just the amount of meat that can be kept in good condition so it's all enjoyed and not wasted.

Lee R

@leerayner @leeraynerfishing

Melbourne VIC

If you're going out to catch SBT, take the right gear. With super light tackle you have to fight them too long.

Lee R

Melbourne VIC

Most people would have two sets of treble hooks or event two singles on a lure, but it's better to use single hooks if you're letting SBT go. Our hook up rate is exactly the same when we run a single hook on the lure - and the fish don't get damaged.

I'd rather just keep one or two 20kg school fish we can deal with on the boat. Because if you can't kill them, bleed them, gut them and put them straight on ice it's just not worth keeping them.

Tune up your tuna skills

Being a Tuna Champion means using the best fishing practices for Southern Bluefin Tuna – and encouraging your mates to do the same. Small moves make a difference.

release

Will the fish you release have the best chance of surviving?

catch

Do you have the right fishing gear to catch big fish and is it in good condition?

keep

Do you know how to dispatch, bleed, gill-gut and chill your bluefin for the best taste – and so no fish is wasted?

handle

Are you leaving the fish in the water when possible, and handling it with care?

prepare

Do you know how to prep your bluefin to make the most of the meat you harvest?

Watch this!Skill up

Shop like a Tuna Champion

Slip on a t-shirt, jump into our new hoodie and slap on a cap. Now that’s Tuna Champion cool.

…or get onboard with the limited edition Reel Brand + Tuna Champion long-sleeve fishing shirt.

Find out about sizing and more here, or hit the button below to head straight to our online shop.

I want one

These links re-direct you to our Tuna Champions shopping page, which is currently hosted by UTAS.

All profits from the sale of merchandise go back into the Tuna Champions program

Testimonials

Don’t take our word for it. Here’s what people are saying about Tuna Champions…

“With the help of the Tuna Champion movement, competitions are moving from whole-fish weigh-ins to gill gutted. We’re seeing a real change in how people bring in the fish, including how much ice they take on their boat.”

John Johnstone, Owner, Portland Bait & Tackle

“In support of the Tuna Champion program, a ‘Tag and Release’ category has been introduced to the month-long Hooked On Tuna competition for 2019.

This program encourages recreational fishers to respect SBT and adopt ways to fish better with minimum waste.

In recognition of this, competition rules are now aligned with best practice fishing of the SBT, with all fish presented at weigh-in mandated to be gutted, gilled and bled to avoid wastage.”

Michael Cottee, Tourism and Events Manager, Glenelg Shire Council

“Tuna champions! What a great idea to educate recreational fishers about better ways to catch and respect their SBT. I’m a recreational tuna fisherman, hobby lure maker, chef, and a foods teacher at a senior secondary college in Tasmania.

Yesterday I brought in a small school SBT I’d caught out of Fortescue Bay the day before. Your website was a fantastic resource to use as a platform to inform and educate my students about all aspects of SBT.

They participated in cleaning, portioning and cryovacking the fish. In following lessons, we’ll be utilising all the different cuts of the SBT, preparing delicious morsels and dishes to showcase this amazing fish. Overall a great learning experience for my students and your website is a great resource for all – well done!”

Chris Edwards, Foods Teacher TAS

Become a Tuna Champ - Take the tuna Pledge

I do solemnly swear to catch, handle, keep or release southern bluefin tuna as safely and humanely as possible – and to prepare it well, so no fish is wasted.

IT’S ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT WE catch

SMALL MOVES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Being a Tuna Champion means doing it better

and knowing more about what you’re catching