THREE hours of strain and pain was worthwhile for Calvin Pool as he finally got a massive southern bluefin tuna into the boat he was on.
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Calvin and his dad Mike, both from Burrill Lake, recently went down to Portland Bay, Victoria with one aim - to land a southern bluefin tuna.
The 100-kilogram monster they caught made the trip worthwhile.
The fish put up a fight and they got it close to the boat twice but it frustratingly powered away.
Calvin had the honour of landing the beast.
"Calvin did all the work - I just held onto him," Mike said.
"He has always wanted to get one."
The father and son team took their seven-metre Stabicraft fishing boat 'Sheezon' down with them.
Beforehand research was done on the conditions like tides and they ended up two good fishing days to succeed
The huge bluefin was caught on a Mackenzie lure.
They had to wait for their chance to land their prize.
"We fished Sunday in good conditions, marked a few tuna with no success," Mike said
"Monday we had great conditions, plenty of bird life diving for whitebait with tuna underneath the surface.
"Then bingo, Calvin hooked up at 9am for an exhausting three hours fight before eventually landing a massive southern bluefin tuna."
On returning to Portland the fish was weighed at an impressive 100 kilograms.
The fish was cleaned, fileted and packed in ice for the trip back to Burrill.
It was cut into smaller portions, cryovaced for family and friends for all to enjoy which included sashimi.
"It's a beautiful fish to eat," Mike said.
Meanwhile, Calvin and Mike were extremely impressed with the excellent amenities, and fishing setup for all to enjoy in Portland Bay.
Boat ramp pressure washing facilities, cleaning tables with hoses attached, scrap bins provided, seating and toilets all in "a very well maintained area" are there for the fishos to use.
"Shoalhaven City Council should take a look and compare with Victoria to fix up our harbour and lakes," Mike said.
