Saltwater Fishing

Albacore Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, & Bluefin Tuna
There is nothing quite like the thrill of Tuna fishing! Pound for pound tuna are one of the biggest fighters you will encounter while sport fishing! Tuna fishing off the Southern California coast usually begins sometime in June with albacore tuna and bluefin tuna usually first appearing in our waters and dies out in the late fall when the water starts to cool off. During warmer water years yellowfin tuna can also be caught at this time. Fishing for each species of tuna is roughly the same so regardless of which tuna species being targeted the same fishing techniques apply. During the early summer months schools of albacore tuna first appear in southern California waters following moderate warm waters and bait fish. Usually albacore tuna are caught farther offshore from 40 - 70 miles from the coast. Tuna are located by several methods including finding sonar marks, trolling jigs or feathers to locate fish, fishing kelp pattys, and by spotting birds or other sea life. These techniques hold true for all species of tuna. For Yellowfin tuna, chasing porpoise techniques are also used.

Water temperature plays a big role in finding tuna. Bluefin Tuna prefer slightly cooler water between 50-78 degrees with the optimal temperature between 60-68 degrees. Yellowfin Tuna prefer the water temperature slightly warmer with the range from 64-80 degrees with the optimal temperature being right around 72-73 degrees.

When trolling for tuna 3 to 5 rods are usually used. A couple of the feathers or jigs are trolled farther back and the other one or two closer to the boat. Use at least 50 pound test while trolling to handle the strike and taking in to account the speed of the boat. You don't want to lose the fish! Be sure to set your drag up properly to prevent line breaks. Typically other tuna will follow and this will erupt into a full bite for all aboard. While a couple anglers will be trolling, make sure that you have your set ups rigged and ready to go. There are several possible set ups that can be very effective and having 2 of these set ups ready is ideal.
The first set up is a standard 20-25 pound test rig (depending on the size of the tuna) with a size 1 to 2/0 hook depending on bait size and the size of the tuna. Fluorocarbon leader is super effective if the fish are biting infrequently. This set up will be the primary bait fishing set up. A good drag system and fresh line are a must when fishing for tuna.

The second setup is a heavier set up. It is a good idea to have a heavier set up when the fish bite aggressively. This saves time fighting each fish resulting in many more fish landed. With a boat full of anglers it's also a good idea to have a back up set up in case you get tangled up with some eager fishermen. 30 pound test is a good line size with many using 40 pound. There are occasions when giant tuna show up and even the heavier set up is not enough. But for tuna up to 100 pounds 40 pound test can do the job. With this second set up you will want a stouter rod and greater line capacity. If larger tuna are not very likely and the fishing is a little touchy a second rod with basically the same set up as the first, 20-25 pound test with a fluorocarbon leader or a artificial bait fish with matching head are two great choices. With the fluorocarbon set up you can get tuna to bite when they are boiling around the boat but not hitting aggressively. Make sure your leader is tied properly and good bait selection is also important. If your bait isn't swimming, and lively, switch it out and get new bait. I can't stress this enough. This can make or break your trip! I have been on trips with bad bait, and trips with good bait. We caught significantly more fish with lively fresh bait!

What to expect:

So you have your set ups taken care of and you are ready to fish. The typical scenario goes something like this. Trolling will usually start the day off and the captain or crew will say fish on when a tuna hits one of the troll rods at which point the boat will slow and chum (bait fish) will be thrown to entice more tuna to the boat. The key tactic at this point is to get a bait in the water and away from the boat as quickly as possible. Tuna move extremely fast and you do not need to cast where the trolling fish is at. A super lively bait is key. just let it swim, keeping contact, but no resistance. So others on the boat are hooking fish, keep your bait out there as tuna will move back and forth feeding in the chum. On slower bites tuna will seem to get into a pattern of boiling in the corner where the chum is being cast. In this case position your bait in that chum by casting where the chum is landing or beyond. Fluorocarbon would be a good bet in this scenario. Once you feel a bite give the tuna a count of three letting line peel of your reel (keep your thumb on the spool some to avoid a backlash) before putting the reel in gear. Setting the hook is really not necessary with tuna as they will hook themselves when they bite. Once your tuna is hooked, constant tension is the key. All species of tuna are very hard fighters with Yellowfin tuna and Bluefin tuna being extremely tough. They will make hard runs challenging the best drag systems and then sometimes your line will suddenly go slack, which leads you to believe the tuna has gotten away. Don’t be fooled as tuna are known to turn and heads towards you and reeling as fast as you can to keep up with the fish will lower the risk of losing it. Once the first series of runs are complete comes the fun part. Tuna will begin to slowly circle deep under the boat when hooked. When fishing lighter line or fighting larger tuna gaining line during this time can be a very slow and hard fought battle. The key is to lift slowly and then wind down. Many times your drag will kick in releasing line as you pull up only to make no gains for your effort, but that is okay. Eventually you will gain line and this constant pressure will wear down the fish.

When the fish comes to sight or "color" continue to keep constant pressure and be prepared for another run as when the tuna sees the boat they often do. As you get the fish closer and closer to the boat call for a gaff at which point a crew member will be ready to land your fish. During active bites you may not have a crew member handy to the last second as he is landing many fish in short order. This last bit of the fight is critical part if the fight, line is stressed as well as any connections between line and hook and there is one more trick that tuna have to get free. That trick is to get you caught in the prop or the underside of the boat. If the tuna makes it to these locations or more importantly your line touches these areas your fish is usually lost. Staying in front of your fish and guiding it by pulling continually in a direction away from areas of concern will minimize this danger. As the fish comes into gaffing range try to lay the fish in such a way to give the crew member the best gaff shot. Simply pulling the fish in a somewhat side wards angle usually does the trick. As the gaff hits the fish watch carefully for a secure connection between gaff and fish. If it looks good the fish will be heading over the rail in a flash. During this time put your reel in free spool and keep your finger on the spool. This keeps the rod from loading up, when the fish hits the deck, which can launch the hook or spring the rod either breaking a rod or smacking you pretty good when it bounces back. Also on the off change that the gaff comes loose during the lifting into the boat process, the fish won’t break off as it falls back into the water and you get to have another try landing it. Once the fish is on deck if the hook is visible remove it from the fishes mouth and if it swallowed the hook just sacrifice it and cut your line. Usually a crew member will do this for you. You will need to retie more than likely after the long battle.

Whether fishing for albacore tuna, yellowfin tuna, or blue fin tuna knowing a couple basics will make your trips more productive and more fun.

When fishing with fin baits it is very important to select healthy bait and as carefully as possible hook your bait either in the nose sideways, collar area, or even belly area depending on how you want your bait to swim. Hooking the bait through the nose sideways will cause your bait to swim slightly side wards and at angle to the boat. Hooking it in the collar will also cause the bait to swim sideways as well as slightly downward. Hooking the bait in the belly will cause the bait to swim downward and away from the boat (use when wanting to have your bait go deep). If you are unsure on how you want to present your bait, hook it threw the nose sideways as this will be the easiest and best for the longevity of your bait. Unlike fishing while on the anchor, tuna fishing is done by drifting and keeping your line and bait in front of you. It is very important to always strive to do this, and it means moving with your bait around the boat also known as the tuna shuffle. If there are too many lines in one spot it may be best to reel in and get to area that has fewer hazards than to risk a fish getting lost to either a tangle or being sawed off by another angler hooked into a fish.

Once you have cast your fin bait try to let it swim as natural as possible this means letting it take line out and not pulling on it or creating resistance against the bait. If your bait is staying put and not moving much you can give it a twitch to wake it up. If that doesn’t liven your bait, then it is time to change your bait. Change your bait almost every cast. This is very important as a strong bait will get the most bites. The only time this doesn’t apply if you have limited bait or a limited type of bait in which case try to make the most of each bait.
GOOD LUCK!