Trolling for big bluefin tuna should be done at 4.5 to 5 knots.
What is the perfect trolling speed?
The best trolling speed depends on several factors including the type of fish, water conditions and lure choice. In general, trolling speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 mph, as measured by GPS, are a good starting place for most species like walleye, trout and salmon.
How long does it take to reel in a giant bluefin tuna?
about two and a half hours
To put that into perspective for you, the average time to reel in a bluefin tuna is about two and a half hours.
What is the best lure to catch bluefin tuna?
Bluefin Feeding on Flying Fish: While floating helium balloons with a flying fish imitator is popular for target large CA Bluefin, suspending stick baits, like the 7″ Charter Grade Slider are ideal for imitating a large flying fish.
What pound test do you use for bluefin tuna?
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries recommends a high-quality reel spooled with a 200-pound test line. According to one sport-fishing website, a large bluefin tuna can take about 200 yards of fishing line as it tries to get away from the fishing boat.
How far behind a boat should you troll?
At least 50 yds out to 100 yds. for the main lines and a couple of shorter sets closer to the boat.
What depth do you troll in?
Your trolling should be concentrated close to or in the thermocline for best results. It will be from 15 to 50 feet down in most lakes, depending on size and depth.
How old is a 200 pound bluefin tuna?
Appearance. Atlantic bluefin tuna can reach 10 feet in length and 1,000 pounds. Most adults are around 200 pounds at 10 years of age.
How much is a 1000 pound bluefin tuna worth?
The Chinese news service Xinghua in March put the average price of bluefin tuna in Japan around $10,000 for a single fish. That’s a lot, even for a fish that can weight more than 1,000 pounds.
How much is a 700 lb bluefin tuna worth?
Teen girl and dad reel in gigantic 700-pound tuna after 10 hour fight – and it’s worth approximately $7,000 in sushi. An 18-year-old girl from Massachusetts caught a 700-pound Bluefin tuna — after she and her dad took turns reeling it in for 10 hours on Friday.
How deep do you troll for tuna?
Trolling Spreads
Set the short rigger lines at 75 and 100 feet respectfully with long riggers 150 and 200 feet. The shotgun rig is run back 250 to 300.
What size hooks for bluefin tuna?
Two hook types used to catch bluefin tuna: Mustad circle hooks (left) sizes 11/0 (top) and 12/0 (bottom) and Mustad #9174 straight hooks (right) sizes 6/0 (top) and 7/0 (bottom).
How deep do you fish for bluefin tuna?
They also often go down into the deepest water in search of prey. Atlantic bluefin and bigeye tunas are the two species that dive deepest, down to 600 and even more than 1,000 meters.
What color lure is best for tuna?
Lure Colors for Tuna
- Rasta Colors with a yellow-pink-blue or similar tri-colored combination are a go-to choice, for seasoned yellowfin sharpies.
- Blue-White Combinations are utterly devastating to the fish in clear blue waters.
What size reel do you need for bluefin tuna?
The reel – A strong rod can take the weight of a strong fish like the bluefin tuna, but the reel must also be tough. A 130 pound reel is a good bet. Back this up with 200 pound dacron line in black when chunking.
How much drag do you use for giant bluefin tuna?
The traditional bluefin tuna fishing method uses the heaviest of offshore tackle—huge, wench-like lever drag reels with up to 130 pounds of drag pressure paired with short, ultra-heavy tuna fishing rods held with a full-body fighting harness. This fishing gear is assumed to be mandatory when fighting a true giant.
Is it better to troll with the current or against it?
When in an area with current, troll crosscurrent as opposed to with and/or against the current. Going crosscurrent, you don’t have to worry about how the current is affecting your lure’s or bait’s speed through the water. Plus, fish generally swim into the current.
Do you need a swivel when trolling?
For fishing with spoons such as a Kastmaster, you only need to use a swivel if you’re trolling. For casting and retrieving and jigging, the spoon won’t spin enough to cause a line twist, so you can tie it directly to your line.
Is it better to troll with mono or braid?
Mono holds knots better and costs less than braid. It also works better on smaller bait-casting reels because light braid can dig into itself. Florida sailfish and dolphin anglers still use a lot of mono on the troll, and some use it for kite lines because it runs through the clips better.
What bait is best for trolling?
Skirted lures are more effective for chasing bigger fish, while soft plastics are better suited for trolling for smaller game. Spoons and plugs are versatile options, and they fall somewhere in the middle. For saltwater trolling, squid, ballyhoo, mullet, and mackerel are go-to baits for most anglers.
How much line should you let out when trolling?
spread all your lines throughout the water column, c) set the bulk of your lines to run at 20 feet, know for a fact that’s where they’ll actually be, and make sure a few lines are running shallower and deeper than that depth to cover all the bases until you get a bite or three and can adjust accordingly.