Tuna Chunking

CAPT ANDY LOCASCIO OCT 3, 2010 10:12 PM

The rod we recommend for tuna chunking is a 5’6″ to 6’6″ conventional stand-up rod rated for 30lb mono or higher.  Because tuna chunking is used for smaller tunas such as yellowfin tuna and albacore and larger tunas including giant bluefin which can go over 1000lbs, a broad range of rods and reels are recommended.  Going to higher rated rods will allow the angler to put more pressure on bigger fish and shorten the fight time, but may take some of the sport out of fighting smaller fish.  Heavier line can also be a handicap when the fish are line-shy.

A reasonable guide for rod and reel ratings are as follows:

Fish Size	Tackle
50lbs or less	30-50lb mono
50-100lbs	50-80lb mono
100-250lbs	80lb mono
250lbs or larger	80-130lb or higher

Tuna Chunking Reels

We strongly recommend using only lever drag reels for tuna chunking.  Two-speed reels provide an added advantage.   Tuna can be notoriously line-shy and for this reason all chunking is done with mono.  For even larger fish and added line capacity anglers can use a mono top shot of 100-200ft backed with braid of equal or higher rating.  The thinner diameter of the braid provides significant additional line capacity.

Lever drag reels are a must for circle hook fishing (also recommended – see below).  The lever drag allows the angler to slowly increase the drag pressure to ensure the proper hook set.

Leader and Connections

There are numerous tips and tricks for tuna chunking rigs.  Use at least 6ft of the lightest reasonable f luorocarbon leader.  Be prepared to sometimes use leader that is significantly lighter than your main line when the fish are line-shy.  We rarely use less than 50lb leader.  When targeting giants we use either 130lb or 200lb leader.  We connect the leader to the main line using a ball bearing swivel that is rated higher than either the main line or the leader (it just needs to be rated higher than one of them).

Tuna Chunking Hooks

Many anglers use 4x strong ringed live bait hooks for chunking.  However, we also recommend using 2x or 3x circle hooks for several reasons:

• These hooks have a smaller visible profile the “J” hooks of the same rating (great for line-shy fish)
• Circle hooks virtually ensure the hook will set on the corner of the mouth reducing the chance that the tuna’s teeth will chafe through the leader
• Circle hooks ensure the least amount of damage to fish that are destined to be released

Fighting Belts for Tuna

We recommend the Black Magic Fighting Belt and Harness. This is a uniquely designed belt and harness system that helps prevent side-to side slippage while reducing back strain. It offers true seat conformation, more stability and fighting leverage!

Tuna Chunking Checklist

• 5’6″ to 6’6″ conventional rated for 30-50lb mono or higher
• Lever drag conventional reel rated for 30lb mono or higher
• 50lb or higher mono or mono top-shot
• 50lb or higher braid for backing
• 100lb  or higher ball bearing swivel
• 4x 5/o and up ringed live bait hooks
• 2x or 3x  5/0 and up circle hooks

Please contact us if you have questions about our recommendations!