Tarin Keith with Yellowfin Tuna trolled on Iland Lures
The rods we recommend for tuna trolling is a 5’6″ to 6’6″ conventional stand-up rod or a 6’6″ to 8′ chair rod rated for 30lb mono or higher. Because tuna trolling is used for smaller tunas such as yellowfin tuna and albacore and larger tunas including giant bluefin (slow trolling) 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.
The stand-up tackle is exactly the same that is used for tuna chunking.
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 |
We strongly recommend using only lever drag reels for tuna trolling. 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
We always use short bimini twist should tied into the main line. The double line created by the bimini must is then tied using a simple a clinch knot to a 300lb (or larger) ball bearing swivel with a snap. The snap is attached to the much heavier leaders (used for wiring the fish) that are part of the lure or spreader bar rigging.
We recommend rigging lures using 80lb or higher fluorocarbon leader. When targeting giants we use either 130lb or 200lb leader.
If you prefer a wind-on leader, the bimni is simply hitched to the loop in the wind-on. Be sure that there is a barrel swivel somewhere in the rig to avoid twist from a fouled lure.
As for lures they are a lot of choices. There are dozens of effective spreader bars and daisy chains made by numerous manufacturers. However, most of our favorites spreader bars are custom built using components from Olde Salt Tackle. Our favorite daisy chains and feathers are also from Olde Salt Tackle.
When it comes to single lures nothing beats the versatility of the Iland Lures. These are a well kept secret in the Northeast and are effective for yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, wahoo, mahi, white marlin, and blue marlin. These are very tough lures that come in a wide variety of head shapes and colors. They can be fished alone, however some of the smaller sizes are simply deadly for tuna with small ballyhoo rigged behind them. The most effective colors are either black/red or green/yellow though on certain days other colors have also been very effective. When the big marlin are around make sure to have at least one 10 1/2″ Iland Express in the spread (typically in dark colors).
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!
Please contact us if you have questions about our recommendations!