Tag: How to Catch Tuna

Best Fishing Rods and Reels for Catching Tuna

Best Fishing Rods and Reels for Catching Tuna

When it comes to catching tuna, having the right fishing rod, reel and line is key to a successful day on the water. Tuna are large and powerful fish that require a sturdy and strong rod to handle the fight. Here are some of the best options for catching tuna:

Tuna fishing can be a thrilling and challenging experience, requiring anglers to have the right equipment to handle these large and powerful fish. When choosing a fishing rod for tuna, there are several factors to consider, including the size of the fish you are targeting, the type of fishing you will be doing, and your personal preference.

Good Tuna Fishing Rods

  1. Conventional Tuna Fishing Rods: Conventional rods are a popular choice for trolling, which is a common method for catching tuna. These rods are typically 6-8 feet in length and are made from high-quality materials such as graphite or fiberglass. They are strong and durable, making them ideal for handling the powerful strikes and runs of tuna. Conventional rods also have a sensitive tip that allows anglers to feel even the slightest bite.
  2. Spinning Rods for catching tuna: Spinning rods are a versatile option that can be used for both trolling and casting. They are typically 6-7 feet in length and are made from graphite or fiberglass. Spinning rods are lightweight and easy to handle, making them a good choice for anglers who want to fish for extended periods without experiencing fatigue. They also have a sensitive tip that allows anglers to feel the slightest bite.
  3. Stand-Up Tuna catching Rods: Stand-up rods are designed for fighting big fish such as tuna. They are typically 7-8 feet in length and are made from graphite or fiberglass. They are designed with a long handle that allows anglers to keep their balance during the fight. Stand-up rods are lightweight and easy to handle, making them a good choice for anglers who want to fish for extended periods without experiencing fatigue. They also have a powerful backbone that can handle the powerful strikes and runs of tuna.

Good Reels for Tuna Fishing

When it comes to tuna fishing, having a good reel is just as important as having a good rod. The right reel can make all the difference in landing a big tuna. Here are some of the best reels for tuna fishing:

  1. Conventional Tuna Reels: Conventional reels are a popular choice for trolling and are designed to handle the large and powerful fish like tuna. They come in various sizes and have a high line capacity. Conventional reels also have a powerful drag system that allows anglers to control the fish during the fight.
  2. Spinning Reels for Tuna Fishing: Spinning reels are a versatile option that can be used for both trolling and casting. They come in various sizes and have a high line capacity. Spinning reels also have a smooth drag system that allows anglers to control the fish during the fight.
  3. Lever Drag Reels for Tuna Catching: Lever drag reels are designed for big game fishing, including tuna. They have a powerful drag system and a high line capacity. Lever drag reels also have a smooth drag system that allows anglers to control the fish during the fight.

When choosing a reel for tuna fishing, it is important to consider the size of the fish you are targeting, the type of fishing you will be doing, and the weight of the line you will be using.

Fishing Line or Braid for Tuna Fishing

The type of line or braid you use when fishing for tuna is also an important factor to consider. Here are some options:

  1. Monofilament Line for Tuna Fishing: Monofilament line is a popular choice for tuna fishing. It is versatile, affordable, and has a good knot strength. Monofilament line also has a good stretch, which can help absorb the shock of a tuna’s powerful strikes and runs.
  2. Braided Line for Catching Tuna: Braided line is a strong and durable option for tuna fishing. It has a high breaking strength and is ideal for use

When choosing a line or braid for tuna fishing, consider the size of the fish you are targeting, the type of fishing you will be doing, and the strength of the line.

In conclusion, when fishing for tuna, having the right equipment is essential. Consider the size of the fish you are targeting, the type of fishing you will be doing, and your personal preference when choosing a rod, reel, and line or braid.

Happy fishing =)

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on How To Catch Tuna.

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna

Catching Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna have the potential of reaching up to a weight of 400lbs or 180kg. This makes them super strong fighters, and they pull extremely hard. Yellowfin are a great gamefish and a pleasure to catch. As a bonus, they are also great to eat! They are mainly found in the warmer offshore waters.

Read more about the Yellowfin Tuna species.

Yellowfin Tuna Tackle

Do some research into the area you are fishing in. Match your tackle to the size of tuna expected. Some schools have yellowfin tuna in the 5kg or 10lb size, others areas contain much larger tuna.

Calstar rods are a good product for all tuna. Shimano Trinidad 16 reel will work for a variety of fish sizes. A recommendation for the big yellowfin tuna is an Accurate Platinum ATD 50

Check out our links below for prices.

Yellowfin Tuna Catching Techniques

Yellowfin Tuna can be caught with bait and lures.  There are many techniques and it’s good to be familiar with them, fish can be tricky to catch some days.

The easiest way to catch yellowfin tuna is when they are breaking the surface feeding. They usually in a feeding frenzy and throwing your lure amongst the bait fish is sure to produce results. Spot the tuna schools by looking into the sky and seeing where birds are flocking, they are usually above the schools picking off baitfish also. When the water’s surface is breaking with activity, tuna are feeding. Get your boat as close to the school and throw your lures into the feed zone.

Trolling is a tried and traditional technique for tuna. Visit this post for detailed Tuna Trolling Info

Another techniques is to lure the yellowfin to you. Whether you are fishing with lures or bait, chum is effective on tuna of all sorts, and Yellowfin are no exception.  You can either chum with live bait or chunks of cut bait.  That helps keep the fish around the boat.

Check out chumming techniques.

Lures for Catching Yellowfin Tuna

Regardless of the technique you employ, try using tuna specific lures. Feather lures, cedar plugs, poppers and plastic skirted lures have the best results. If the fish are deep and under the bait schools, metal jigs will work. In general the quick retrieving lures work best with tuna since they have good eyesight.

It is recommended to buy a reputable lure brand. These lure will swim faster and more accurately mimicking bait fish. It Is really important to have a good variety of lure sizes and types, they need to match the baitfish in the water. Natural colours work best, blue, silver, green, etc.

Top lure brands include Rapala, Halco Max, Yo-Zuri Sashimi Bull, Shimano Orca.

Click on the links below to purchase some great Yellowfin Tuna lures:

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna with Bait

As with lures, you need to select the bait that the tuna are feeding on in your area. For smaller tuna sizes Anchovies, sardines and squid work well. Pacific Mackerel and even small skipjack tuna work for catching larger yellowfin.

If you do not have live bait chunking is an option.  This entails cutting chunks of a large bait fish (perhaps a Skipjack) and then tossing them over the side.  In one of the chunks hide a circle hook and let it drift down naturally with the rest of the chunks.  Make sure you let out a lot of line so that the chunk can drift without any drag.  If something picks it up it will take off and you will know right away.  Tuna don’t nibble.

Check out other species of tuna.

Top 3 Tuna Fishing Books on Amazon

Top 3 Tuna Fishing Books on Amazon

Tuna is a saltwater fish and is much harder to catch than the fish you catch in your nearby stream. Without any angling experience, it is likely that you will fail wasting your money on renting the fishing charter. So, before you go tuna fishing, you will want to better prepare yourself by learning as much as you can. One way to do this is to reference tuna fishing books as they offer lots of useful tips for beginners. The following are the top 3 tuna fishing books on Amazon.

1. Chasing Tuna: The Beginner’s Guide to West Coast Offshore Fishing

Tuna Fishing Book

Chasing Tuna: The Beginner’s Guide to West Coast Offshore Fishing

Chasing Tuna by Matt Steiger is a tuna fishing book for beginners who want to learn about deep sea fishing. It discusses everything you need to know from selecting the right bait to getting the right boat and equipment. You can find information on how to prepare yourself for the fishing charter. For example, whether you should bring your own food and drink and how to handle seasickness when you are onboard a fishing charter. It covers both basic and advanced fishing topics so you can read it even if you are an advanced tuna angler. It gives tips on what to do if the fish fight back.

The book discusses about how to handle the catch including cleaning, storing, and cooking the fish. There are a lot of black and white vignette graphics for illustrating the different fishing techniques. It can be an entertaining read since the author recounts a lot of fishing stories from his own experiences. The stories talk about the mistakes he made and how you can avoid them for better result. It also have many fun facts to entertain the readers. Reading the book will boost your confidence into renting a charter to achieve your tuna fishing dream. Overall, it is a great book for people who are interested in chartering a boat for offshore tuna fishing.

Tuna Fishing Book

2. Tuna on the Fly: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing’s Ultimate Trophy Fish

Tuna on The Fly Book

Tuna on the Fly: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing’s Ultimate Trophy Fish

Tuna on the Fly by Tom Gilmore is a guidebook that teaches you how to catch all the popular tuna species in various fishing spots. The book only cover tuna fishing in the USA waters. There is no information on tuna fishing in other waters like Pacific or Mexican waters. In this book, you can find information on the habits and behaviors of different tuna species. You can more accurately target the tuna you want to catch if you know its behavior and activities. You’ll learn how to catch large tuna without breaking your fly rod. It gives tips on what is the best fishing knot to use for tuna.

If you have trouble locating tuna fish, you can look up the book as it provides information on the various methods you can use to identify its whereabouts. Like all other guidebooks, it also discusses about what equipment you need to have to get started and the different tactics in tuna fishing. The book has a lot of black and white photos and a few color photos. There is a total of 40 b/w photos and 8 color photos. Many of the photos features the catches of trophy fisherman like Zane Gray. It also has 10 maps that covers different fishing spots locations.

Tuna on The Fly BookTuna on The Fly Book

3. Fish the Chair If You Dare: The Ultimate Guide to Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing

Bluefin Tuna Book

Fish the Chair If You Dare: The Ultimate Guide to Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing

Fish the Chair If You Dare is a book written by a fisherman in real life called Captain Greg Beacher. At the start of the book, you can read a detailed overview on bluefin tuna fishing which occurs mostly in the Atlantic waters. You’ll find valuable information on the different tactics used in catching large bluefin tuna on a fishing charter. You can buy this book and read it if you recently purchase a fishing charter and are hoping to have successful catches of large tuna. Flipping through the pages, you will find it has information on the different bluefin fishing methods that are used by fishing charters captains.

The fishing methods it discusses can also be useful for people who want to catch other types of tuna species such as YellowFin, Albacore, and Dorado. The book was first published in 1993 so the information can be a bit dated for you. Nevertheless, the valuable tips and hints provided in this book makes it worthwhile for the price of the book as you normally won’t find these information elsewhere. The book is recommended for beginners who are interested in catching bluefin tuna. You can also buy this book to get better tuna catches if you are a fisherman. Inside the pages, there are some commercials. Therefore, it may not be the book you are looking for if you want an entertaining book to read on tuna fishing.

Bluefin Tuna BookBluefin Tuna Book

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How to Get Started in Tuna Fishing

How to Get Started in Tuna Fishing

If you have been successful in fishing in small rivers, you may be interested in going for a bigger challenge with tuna fishing. Since tuna is a big fish, you can expect a lot of splashing of water when it struggles on your fishing rod. Angling on the sea for tuna will be a completely different experience than your usual fishing hobby in the nearby stream. It is important to do it the right way if you want to be successful and catch lots of tunas when you set out on the ocean in your fishing charter.

 

Locating the Tuna

Tuna likes to live in the part of the ocean with warm water currents. Therefore, if you want to find tuna, you will need to look for temperature gradients on ocean maps. Usually, tuna can be easily found within 5 mi or more than 100 mi offshore. Some people also use electronic fish finder to find out the tuna fish’s location and depth.  You can follow a fishing charter if you don’t want to bother about locating the tuna yourself. The fishing charters will leave from popular piers or wharfs.

Different types of tuna can be caught in the waters including bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeye. Bluefin can be found in the waters around 8 miles off the coast from May to October. Bluefin likes to swim 60 – 100 feet below the ocean. If you want to catch bluefin, you should use yoyo fishing style, which requires you to drop the jig in the water and then retrieve it back quickly.

Yellowfin tuna likes to swim in the warmer areas of the sea, and the northern part of Islands. You can catch as much as 400 pounds of yellowfin tuna on a fishing charter. The best time to catch yellowfin tuna is from 3 AM to 8 AM. Yellowfin tuna does not spawn in local waters but in the waters located south to the eastern Pacific. Bigeyes usually appear in the waters from June to November. They can weigh in between 50 – 100 pounds.

Live Chumming

You can start live chumming as soon as you have located the tuna’s whereabout. Live chumming involves using a dip net to pick up small live baits and toss them to the surface of the water near the boat. It aims to attract the tuna fishes near to your boat. Live chumming technique can be used along with trolling.

Prepare Your Hook

You will want to make sure that you have already prepared your hook with the bait of your choice. Various types of baits can be used including anchovies, squids, and sardines. You can twist an egg sinker in the 1/4 – 5/8 range to enable the fishing bait to sink to at least 10 feet below the water. The bait should not stay on the surface as it can get eaten by the bird.

Feather jig is commonly attached to the hook as it resembles the fins and tails of a fish. For tuna fishing, you will need a 7 – 8 foot long rod that has a rating in between 12 – 25. Longer rod is easier to maneuver around the boat. In addition, you should get a saltwater spinning reel as it offers a stronger resistance against big fishes.

Once the hook is prepared, you can drop it in the depth of water dictated by your tuna locator. At this point, you need to be patient and wait for the tuna to strike your hook. You should pull in your reel every 10 minutes to see if it has gotten a bite. Sometimes, you don’t get a bite on the hook because the bait has accidentally detached and drop in the ocean water.

Getting the Fish Into Your Boat

Once you get a bite, you can count to three and let the line peel off your reel. There is no need to set the hook as the tuna mouth will automatically hook itself when it bites. When the tuna is hooked, you will feel tension as it struggles to escape. Tuna is a hard fighter that can swim fast. It will try to run circles around your boat to get the line to snap so that it can get away. It will circle below the boat if it can’t snap the line by circling around the boat.

You must be very patient when trying to retrieve the fish into your boat. You can try pulling the line up and down slowly. Your persistence will eventually wear down the fish and you will eventually be able to reel the fish into your boat. One thing to keep in mind when reeling in the fish is to maintain the proper tension to prevent the line from breaking.

Good Luck and let us know how you go 🙂

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How to Catch Tuna

How to Catch Tuna

Before you ever step into the boat, read how to catch tuna. The secrets found within its pages can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. If you are sick of buying your fish from the supermarket (YUCK), you owe it to yourself to check it out!

Searching for tuna can be an exciting adventure. It can also be extremely frustrating unless you know what you are looking for. In the summer months you will have an easier time finding schools of tuna. Typically, they will stay near the surface of the water while hunting for schools of bait fish. In the winter months, tuna tend to hunt deeper and rarely venture up to the surface. Additionally, tuna fishing is usually better in low light conditions, such as those in the late afternoon.

When fishing for tuna always be on the lookout for diving birds. Tuna tend to travel near pods of dolphins or sharks. If you see either birds, dolphins or sharks try and determine if any bait fish are in the area.

Typically, anglers prefer to troll using a W. This simple pattern consists of 2 long lines attached to each outrigger, 2 lines held relatively flat and out to the side and one line that goes straight down the middle just below the surface. The goal is to present a bold presentation of varying lures. Try and create the illusion of panic stricken schools of bait fish. Green lures are particularly alluring to yellow fin tuna for some reason.

Pick a lure. Most tuna lures have a Kona head, but they come in many shapes, sizes and colors and under many names. The Kona head creates an ideal bubble trail and surface action for attracting tuna. Generally the larger the lure, the larger the fish you will catch, but of course there are always exceptions to the rules. You never know what size and type of fish will hit your next lure. For smaller tuna, Albacore and Striped, 6inch lures of any type in green/yellow, blue/silver and red/white I have found to be most successful. The next step up would include 8-10inch lures aimed at catching Bluefin, Yellowfin and Albacore Tuna. One popular Yellowfin lure that catches well is the Pakula Lumo Small Spocket. White Bluefin are readily caught on pink, brown and purple colour combination’s. If you are after large Yellowfin Tuna or Striped Marlin in particular I have caught well on darker lures in combination’s of blue, black and purple, but they tend to go for pink as well. As with all fish there are no hard and fast rules. If you are not succeeding, change your lure position, colour or alter your speed until you find the right mix. Undoubtedly you will discover the joys of game fishing.

Try trolling at slow speeds (5-9 mph) using either live bait or artificial lures, such as strip baits, large spoons, skirted lures, and plugs. Don’t worry the tuna are more than fast enough to keep up with the boat. When you troll, you should let out a quarter of your line behind the boat; a hundred yards or more is excellent.

When tuna hit, they hit hard, usually hooking themselves with no help from you, and yanking the line off the reel at a rapid rate. If the line becomes slack, the fish is probably swimming toward the boat; reel in the slack rapidly, and make sure the hook is set. Always keep the line tight. A truly large fish might give you the fight of your life, battling for as long as several hours before it wins by snapping the line or leader or you do, by getting it up to the boat. I am a keen fisherman, who loves to watch, read, and do just about everything fishing. Hoping to learn lots of tricks from my how to catch tuna website

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Tuna Fishing Tips for Catching Albacore Tuna

Tuna Fishing Tips for Catching Albacore Tuna

Catching Albacore Tuna Fishing
Catching Albacore Tuna

Albacore Tuna, also called thunnus alalunga or albies, is one of the smaller tuna species with metallic dark blue top and silver white belly. Its flesh is pink in color and will turn white when you cook it. Most of the Albacore tuna caught are young and weigh in between 10 – 30 pounds. Because they are young, there is a lower accumulation of mercury in their flesh. Albacore tuna is rich in omega 3 and they are often made into canned tuna.

Albacore tuna is an active fish typically found in tropical/temperate ocean so the best way to catch Albacore Tuna is trolling. It will be difficult to catch tuna from a boat that stands still in the water since they travel in large schools at high speed. When trolling for albacore, it is best to maintain at a boat speed of 6 – 10 knots.

Trolling is a tried and traditional technique for tuna. Visit this post for detailed Tuna Trolling Info

How to catch Albacore Tuna – Lures to use, methods, tips and tricks.

Glittery baits that are designed to troll at high speed can be used in the day time. In the late evening, you can use darker color lures. The ideal length of the lure for catching albacore tuna is 3″ – 4″. Different types of baits are hooked differently, for example, when you use a anchovies bait, you must hook it with the mouth closed. The hook must be strong and sharp, for example, the 4/0 hooks.

Catching Albacore Tuna
Catching Albacore Tuna

The bait is to be installed  in the correct position behind the boat. To get an idea of what bait to use, you can check out the stomach of the first tuna you caught. When you cut open its belly, you’ll be able to see what size and type of bait inside. The size of the bait you use must match the size of the hook. Many anglers have successfully used baits like hex head, yo zuri squid lip rupper, tuna ‘P’nut and mackerel maulers to catch tuna.

To get the tuna to swim up to the surface, you must stir up some commotion, for example dragging an old tire behind the boat. When they are stirred in excitement, they will come up and bite on any bait they see. You can mix 5 – 6 baits to create your own school of fish in order to attract the tuna up to the surface. Typically, it will take about 1 hour to get the tuna into the boat once it bite on the bait.

Check out other species of tuna.

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What is the Best Bait for Skipjack Tuna

What is the Best Bait for Skipjack Tuna

Skipjack tuna, also known as Katsuwonus pelamis, is a small tuna species mainly found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Their feeding time occurs in the late afternoon. During this time, they will swarm in large schools to feed on baitfish on the ocean surface. Skipjack tunas eat various types of fishes in their diets including anchovies, mackerels, and herrings.

For skipjack tuna, most fishermen would use artificial lures to catch them. Examples of artificial baits that have produced good results are plastic skirts, shiny metal spoon, plastic squid, lead-head jigs, bibless minnows, pilchards, and other soft plastics. You have to experiment yourself to find out the best size and color of artificial lures to catch them.

You can also catch tuna with a real bait. If you want to use real bait, you should use live baits like anchovies, mackerel, sand eels and sardines. Dead baits can be used too but a bait that is alive will be better as it will be able to move and generate some actions in the water.

The most popular method of catching skipjack tuna is trolling with 2 – 4 lures. The speed at which you are trolling is very important.  When using small lures, you should troll at 4 – 6 knots. While trolling, you are to look out for Skipjack feeding on the surface. One easy way to spot them is to look out for diving birds like Gannets. When you spot them, cast your fishing line just in front of school taking care that there is a distance away.

There should be at least four rods set up in your boat, with the lures on 2 rods reaching as far as 30 m and the lures on the other 2 rods reaching as close as 15 m. If you only have 2 rods, you can set up one to 30 m and the other one to cover up to 15m. In this way, you will have covered the nearer and further areas when the skipjack swim towards your boat.

Hiring a fishing charter with modern technology is a must. But, you must also be educated with basics like knowing what different behavior of birds mean and knowing how to read the SST chart. Reading the SST chart allows you to find out about the sea current movement to find out where the tuna is traveling.

Before setting out, make sure you are equipped with with a large spinning reel that can be spooled up to a long distance. The reason is that skipjack tuna is a good swimmer and it will swim at a high speed when caught. Equipping yourself with a long spinning reel ensures a smooth drag.

Most of the Skipjack tuna that are caught weigh in the range of 5 – 15 pounds. They fight hard when being caught so you must know how to handle it. As soon as it is killed, you must place it on the ice otherwise you may suffer from scombrois poisoning when eating the meat.

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How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna Trolling

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna Trolling

Catching Yellowfin Tuna Trolling

Yellowfin Tuna, also known as Thunnus albacares, is a species of tuna that is deep blue on top, has a shallow yellow line all the way to the tail in the middle and their fins are yellowish color. Yellowfin is one of the larger tuna species with the potential of reaching up to a weight of 180 kg. They are mainly found in the offshore waters such as Gulf of Meixco, Hawaii, Caribbean, Eastern and Western Pacific.

Trolling for Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin Tuna usually travel in large schools to the surface during feeding time. They are boat shy and will quickly dive deep into the water when they see a boat approaching. Therefore, upon spotting the school of tuna from afar, you must not steer your boat fast toward them otherwise they will swim away. The strategy to catching tuna is to stop your boat a distance away from the fish for example, 3 knots away.  Then, you can put out your fishing line and let the bait float itself to where the school of tuna is.

When you stop your boat, the engine stops producing noises and the fish will be more bold to swim near your boat. Parking your boat a distance away prevents the tuna from associating the bait comes from your boat. Hiring a big fishing charter will give you a better fishing experience. When you reel in the fish, the fish will jump and flip and you will have fight the fish until it is dead. If your fishing charter is small and there is not enough room, you may accidentally step on your expensive fishing rig or even fall out of the boat.

Learn more about the Yellowfin Tuna Species

Ideally, your fishing charter should be large enough to set up 6 – 7 flush mount or vertical fishing rods. The more fishing rods you set up, the higher the chance of catching the tuna. After you stop the boat afar, you just wait patiently. You may have to wait up to 7- 8 hours for the first bite but it is worth the wait. While waiting, you must stay alert and quickly pull in the rod when you sense something bites. It is important to always wear thick buckskin glove when pulling in the rod. It will protect the skin on your palm and finger from callouses as you need a lot of strength to pull in the rod.

Cedar Plugs Tuna Fishing Lures

It is best to go fishing for yellowfin tuna with 1 or 2 partners as they can give you additional hands in catching the fish. For example, your partner can help with storing the rod in a cabin space or help you in getting the fish into the boat. Lures like tuna feathers, cedar plugs, chain, joeschutes and sterling bars can be used. For catching yellowfin tuna, the boat should be trolling at the speed of 5 – 8 knots. You can adjust your boat speed according to the behavior of the lure. Rougher seas mean you have to troll at a slower speed to enable the lure to work the most efficiently.

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on How To Catch Tuna.

Tuna Fishing – Chumming for Tuna

Tuna Fishing – Chumming for Tuna

One of the most popular tuna fishing methods is chumming for tuna.

All game fish respond in varying degrees to chum. For some anglers chumming has become an art form, even a science. One thing is absolutely sure, effective chumming techniques produce more fish. Let’s discuss some of the most productive methods that will make you a more successful angler.

Tuna Fishing Chumming Recipe


Supplies & Ingredients:

  • 1 box of heavy duty zip lock plastic freezer bags
  • 1 five gallon bucket
  • a garden hand rake or stirring implement
  • Garden Hose
  • 1 gallon pure pogy (menhaden) oil
  • 1 – 3 pound can whole kernel corn
  • Rice, oats, macaroni (optional)
  • 12 cans Kozy Kitty cat food (sold at most stores 3/$1)
  • 6 loaves of wheat or stone ground bread. Some bakery outlet stores sell old bread for 10 cents per loaf, you must ask for “critter food”.
  • Food processor (Warning: You may burn it up and don’t even think about telling the wife what you need it for)
  • Electric can opener

Recipe:

  • Chop bread in processor
  • Dump 12 cans of cat food into bucket, mixing in bread with small amounts of water. Consistency desired like thick soup
  • Stir in 2 cups of Pogy oil, evenly distributed
  • Take off gas mask and drink one cold beer a safe distance from bucket
  • Fill freezer bags and double bag
  • Lay bags flat in kitchen freezer (Warning: see Food Processor above)
  • Transport chum in designated chum cooler with ice over and under
  • Use ½ bag at a time ( fits perfectly into a standard nylon chum bag)

Tuna Fishing Chum Bags

Chumming for Tuna Techniques

Depending upon your target species, chum deployment is the next issue. When fishing for tuna find your potential fishing spot, hang your chum bag on a stern cleat and allow the current to create a “chum slick” behind your boat. Remember, your goal is to not to over feed the fish, just get them interested in your baits.

Many species like blue fin and mac tuna respond extremely well to this technique by coming up in the water column to eat your free-lined baits. Or, send your chum to the bottom on a hand line or use your downrigger ball. They can’t resist the pogy smell. Neither can nuisance sharks, especially in summer.

Try chumming next time you got fishing for tuna. You will catch more fish. And everyone knows that a day spent on the water fishing is better then a day at work.

chummingtuna

Tuna Bait Storage

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on How To Catch Tuna.

Catching Tuna – Trolling for Tuna Tips and Techniques

Catching Tuna – Trolling for Tuna Tips and Techniques

Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water behind a moving boat.

tuna trolling

Searching for tuna can be an exciting adventure. It can also be extremely frustrating unless you know what you are looking for. In the summer months you will have an easier time finding schools of tuna. Typically, they will stay near the surface of the water while hunting for schools of bait fish. In the winter months, tuna tend to hunt deeper and rarely venture up to the surface. Additionally, tuna fishing is usually better in low light conditions, such as those in the late afternoon.

Birds And Tuna Fishing

When fishing for tuna always be on the lookout for birds. When fish are near the surface, they are visible, especially in a feeding frenzy. Spot the tuna schools by looking into the sky and seeing where birds are flocking, they are usually above the schools picking off baitfish also. When the water’s surface is breaking with activity, tuna are feeding. Get your boat as close to the school troll your lines through it.

Tuna tend to travel near pods of dolphins or sharks. If you see either birds, dolphins or sharks try and determine if any bait fish are in the area.

Trolling for Tuna Techniques

Typically, anglers prefer to troll using a “W Pattern”. This simple pattern consists of 2 long lines attached to each outrigger, 2 lines held relatively flat and out to the side and one line that goes straight down the middle just below the surface. The goal is to present a bold presentation of varying lures. Try and create the illusion of panic stricken schools of bait fish. Best color lures for tuna? Green lures are particularly alluring to yellow fin tuna for some reason.

Try trolling at slow speeds (5-9 mph) using either live bait or artificial lures, such as strip baits, large spoons, skirted lures, and plugs. Don’t worry – the tuna are more than fast enough to keep up with the boat. When you troll, you should let out a quarter of your line behind the boat; a hundred yards or more is excellent.

When tuna hit, they hit hard, usually hooking themselves with no help from you, and yanking the line off the reel at a rapid rate. If the line becomes slack, the fish is probably swimming toward the boat; reel in the slack rapidly, and make sure the hook is set. Always keep the line tight. A truly large fish might give you the fight of your life, battling for as long as several hours before it wins – by snapping the line or leader – or you do, by getting it up to the boat.

Tuna Trolling Lures

Pick a lure. Most tuna lures have a Kona head, but they come in many shapes, sizes and colors and under many names. The Kona head creates an ideal bubble trail and surface action for attracting tuna. Generally the larger the lure, the larger the fish you will catch, but of course there are always exceptions to the rules. You never know what size and type of fish will hit your next lure.


For smaller tuna species, Albacore and Striped, 6inch lures of any type in green/yellow, blue/silver and red/white I have found to be most successful.
The next step up would include 8-10inch lures aimed at catching Bluefin, Yellowfin and Albacore Tuna. One popular Yellowfin lure that catches well is the Pakula Lumo Small Spocket. White Bluefin are readily caught on pink, brown and purple colour combination’s. If you are after large Yellowfin Tuna or Striped Marlin in particular I have caught well on darker lures in combination’s of blue, black and purple, but they tend to go for pink as well.

Trolling Spreader Bars for Tuna is another technique. Please view full page here.


As with all fish there are no hard and fast rules. If you are not succeeding, change your lure position, colour or alter your speed until you find the right mix. Undoubtedly you will discover the joys of game fishing.

Check out other species of tuna.

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on How To Catch Tuna.