Tuna Fishing Advice,Tips, Tactics

[hareball]

hi all,

looking to start doing some tuna trips and am looking for advice on all aspects from start to finish. thanks for all help.

[Hotrod]

Great Topic Harball

[hareball]

thanks rod

it takes a whole lotta cash to run offshore so would like to hear some tips on how to have a safe and productive trip.

[mboy]

What kind of triops you planning to do and where?
Canyon chunking, trolling or more inshore type bluefin fishing (their is no more yellowfin fishing in our inshore waters unforetunately, or not like it was in the 80's if it does exist)?

[hareball]

I hear the cigar is the hotspot in my area.

inshore advice is also welcome.

chunking, trolling, and all other ways too.

we can break this down into specie. if anybody targets a certain specie they can share thier advice.

[Ruger314]

Is On down Cape May area.. Let me call a friend and get the update.. He fished a tournament this week!!

[hareball]

thanks!

we heard some reports on our way in. a few tuna here and there and a wahoo.

[Capt. Ed]

Hi Hareball,

The first thing is to ask questions and always learn both from others and on the water. There is no substitute for actually being out there.

You have - so on to the next ...

To me, small things that differentiate people who catch a tuna occassionally and those that catch regularly are:

1. Good reports (word of mouth, Roeffers, etc.).

2. Good weather - No need to take a beating needlessly.

3. Good bait ... freshbutterfish and ballyhood will outfish crap bait (look at the eyes and make sure they are not red). If you can jig squid or catch ling while out there, all the better.

4. Good, reliable equipment

5. Fluorocarbon leaders - they have great vision

6. Putting the time in ... there are distinct times that on th whole, bites are better (at dawn on the chunk for example)

7. Reasonable expectations ... skunks do happen.

7. Properly preserving the catch. Bring lots of ice!

8. A bit of luck!

Yes ... all reports have the Cigar dialed in as a good place to start as well as the 28 Mile Wreck (I believe you were in that area recently).

Best wishes,

Capt. Ed

[hareball]

thanks capt. ed!

is there a chum to draw in the tuna while jigging?

[Ruger314]

Ok just got off the phone with a friend..


Tuna was all over the cape may area.. cigar , hotdog.. But the the bigger fish are being behind the scallop boats..

goood luck

[Capt. Ed]

Hi Hareball,

I use chunks of butterfish; peanut bunker (oh no - not the secret weapon ... they have saved many a trip); and spearing.

When the fish are picky, we down size rods, reels, leader and bait (that is the time peanuts work great).

Flats of butterfish for everyone ...

Capt. Ed

[hareball]

thanks joey!

capt. ed, should I weight a chum pot and drop it down with some butterfish chopped up in it and jig about the same depth as the pot? or is chunking and jigging a fine method?

[mboy]

Junking while jigging is fine. Jig atthe depth you are reading the fish or see the bit balls on the scope (or the thermocline if no fish/bait visible).

Search out those temp breaks.

never forget to try and jig up some live squid if night chunking.

If chunking/jigging at night, bring a long handle fine mesh bait net so you can scoope them up (along with sardines.

Jigging is great for when you have your bait lines out.

[hareball]

thanks bro!

we called in for a water report but the email came a few hours after we left.

capt. mike is gonna run down to the boat soon to get the marks of the gps so we can compare our mako hookups to the temp chart.

on our way in we were marking alot of fish. too tired from the fishing marathon we ended up trolling but no takers.

[Kevin]

do you have the fuel to troll? i have always coughten many species of tuna bigeye,yellowfin,bluefin etc. on the troll during the morning at first light (chunk all night) i usually use a 6-8 line spread trolling the larger stuff in the back of the spread , green machines, rigged rubber squids, rigged ballyhoo, assorted jet heads and a spreader bar. i usually run two spreder bars ona flat line up close to the transome, a daisy chain of squid on the right short rigger and on the long i would troll a green machine. on the other side you can troll a jet head or more green machines and daisy chains , they all work. i use a center rigger to troll a wwwaaayy back bird with a 14 squid or a green machine out there. chunking at night, try and grab some live squid and throw it in the bait well. chunk butterfish , mackerel chunk,etc.  heres an example of a spread  http://georgepoveromo.com/smallboattrollingspread.htm