Trolling for Bluefin Tuna
Before the water gets too warm and the chunking bite turns on, trolling up bluefin tuna on standup gear is the go to method for putting together a solid trip. The bite begins off of North Carolina and slowly gravitates northward into the northeast canyons and in towards the inshore lumps on their journey northward. The fishing can be hit or miss at this point of the season, but if you are able to get on them on the troll you are usually rewarded with stud sized fish that will test your tackle like few other fish.
An ideal rod and reel setup starts with a reel similar to a Shimano Tiagra 50WLRSA, Penn 50VISW, or Avet EXW 50/2 for trolling ballyhoo and spreader bars. For a larger class of fish, 80 and 130 class reels could be necessary to allow for enough line capacity and drag pressure. Standups rods designed for taking down BFT on the troll are usually in the 6’ range with all rollers, however with recent advancements in guide technology, rods with all open guides are becoming more popular. Biggest advantage to an all open guide rod or a rod with open guides and a roller tip is the weight you are shedding by ditching the all roller rods. Due to braided lines decreased line diameter compared to monofilament of the same breaking strength, 600 - 800 yards of 100-130lb solid or hollow core braid backing with a 50 to 150 yard Momoi Diamond or Jinkai monofilament topshot is the ideal line pairing when gearing up on the troll with most reels.
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.
While yellowfin tuna trolling usually allows for a larger spread and more variety, a bluefin spread should be kept a bit simpler. A 5 rod spread is usually ideal with select or horse size ballyhoo way back with up to 200 yards dumped off of the reel out of your long riggers and shotgun, and spreader bars off of your short riggers. If the fish are holding in deep water it is also a good idea to have a planer rod ready to a depth component to your spread.
For your ballyhoo trolling setups it is best to go with a long 130lb and higher Seaguar or Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon leader to help keep your presentation as stealthy as possible. If you are marking fish and not hooking up, don’t be afraid to drop down on the leader size and make sure that your leader is clean. A pair of sunglass wipes often does the trick with ease. While ballyhoo and spreader bars are the staples for targeting bluefin on the troll, cedar plugs, feathers, and green machines can also be extremely productive.