If you're up for some Southern Bluefin Tuna action, we’ve got the breakdown, explaining the different fishing tactics.

The usual go-to is trolling with a lineup of skirted lures that come in all sizes, generally from 6 to 12 inches. You’ll troll these at different distances behind your boat, like short corner, long corner, short rigger, long rigger, and shotgun, so they don't get all tangled up when you're making those sharp turns. The use of taglines will increase your hookup rate, unlike a Marlin, you want the pressure to come on quicker with Tuna to ensure a quick hookset.

Now, if you wanna switch it up, casting can be effective when the Tuna are all about feeding on little bait. You have be sneaky and come in from the upwind side, though to ensure you don’t spook those Tuna!

Don't forget about livebaiting. Get yourself some small baitfish like jack mackerel, hook them through the nose and get them out there. It's like serving up a Tuna buffet and a great option when they’re being picky.

Then there's cubing – you chop up your bait into small cubes, put a hook through one of them, and let it sink through the water. Great for when you're around schooling Tuna and want to hold them at the back of the boat.

And last but not least, jigging. When you spot those Tuna on the sounder at depths between 20 and 60 meters, you use jigs to tempt 'em into biting. Tuna can’t resist a well presented jig.

In New Zealand, Southern Bluefin Tuna are commonly found off the eastern coast of the North Island, with the peak fishing season running from June to August. Sightings can also be as early as March and as late as September or October. Bluefin Tuna are also being encountered off Fiordland in early to late summer. With the fishery really being in its infancy in NZ we are still learning a lot about their seasonal movements.

The main annual Southern Bluefin Tuna run is along Waihau Bay and the East Cape of the North Island occurs in June, July and August, attracting anglers from across the country who seek their luck on recreational boats or with numerous charter companies operating in the region. Additionally, larger Pacific bluefin tuna can be encountered off the western coast of the South Island in New Zealand.

Bluefin tuna can be active at different times of the day, but many anglers find that early morning and late afternoon can be the most productive times to target them.

While catch-and-release is an option, it's essential to handle bluefin tuna carefully to maximize their chances of survival when practicing catch-and-release in New Zealand. Try not to lift them out of the water and keep the boat moving forward, Tuna need water flowing over their gills to breathe. If you want a pic before the release, get one boatside on the leader and send the Tuna on its way.

Jump online and watch some videos on how to bleed a SBFT and ice down. It is imperative to remove the blood to maximise the quality of the meat. Also take a heap of ice, you need to cool the Tuna down as fast as possible, this is best done in a saltwater slurry if available, then packed on ice. The next best option is a kill bag or big chilly bin loaded with salt ice.

Bluefin Tuna are big fish and the meat goes a long way, so it makes sense to only take what you need. Bluefin Tuna are prone to overfishing so it is up to you to fish sensibly, only take what you need to ensure the fishery will be around for years to come.