Light Tackle Trolling for Blackfin Tuna
If the fish are spread out and you want to cover ground to find them, trolling up blackfin tuna on standup gear is the go to method for putting together a solid trip. The fishing can be hit or miss, but if you are able to get on them on the troll you are usually rewarded with multiple hookups at a time.
An ideal rod and reel setup starts with a reel similar to a Talica 20II from Shimano, paired with a TackleDirect Platinum Hook TDPS662030SIN or similar rod with all open guides and a slick butt. With the latest advancements in Spectra line, most anglers are leaning towards a rod with all open guides, which is not only braid friendly but also lightens up the rod significantly so the rod actually wears out the fish rather than the angler. Due to braided lines decreased line diameter compared to monofilament of the same breaking strength, 400-500 yards of 40-50lb braid with a short 40lb monofilament topshot should do the trick.
The simplest way to rig up would be to attach a snap swivel at the end of your monofilament topshot via a crimp, loop created by a bimini twist, or a simple clinch knot. If you are using rods with enough clearance to pass a small Spro Power Swivel through the guides, utilizing a crank-on monofilament or fluorocarbon wind on leader system is a great way to increase the length of your leader and add a stealthy element to your spread. Using an extra long leader without an experienced wireman is not ideal, so the crank on system allows the angler on the rod to wind the leader right on to the reel until the fish is within gaff range.
When looking for the best blackfin trolling lures, small 4" cedar plugs, feathers, drone spoons, and a seawitch in front of a small to medium ballyhoo will be the ticket. If you want to weed out the small fish and want to specifically target the 20-30lb class blackfin, stick with the bigger baits. You may not hook up as much, but the larger presentations will typically leave you with a box full of larger class fish.
Once you hook up, KEEP THE BOAT IN GEAR for at least 30 seconds!!! It may be difficult to not overreact and back off the throttles when a single blackfin is burning through one of your reels on a slow day, but keeping the boat in gear for as long as you can increases the potential for multiple hookups and a quicker limit of tuna.