Whenever you are trolling for tuna there are a few tips on how to catch tuna that will help you considerably.
Once you have gotten the proper permits or licenses, and have all your safety gear and inspections out of the way, you are ready for some serious tuna fishing! Just make plans to stay out on the water from just before sunrise until dark, because tuna bite best very early and from sunset until dark.
When it comes to bait, the preferred bait for tuna changes daily. Bring spreader bars in all the colors you can and in various sizes. Every color of tuna train, teaser birds, lures, and multiple sized ballyhoo rigged with teasers. If you are trolling for giant tuna, begin with a thirteen inch squid spreader bars and move to smaller squid set ups if you are not having any luck.
On rough days, you might want to consider trolling in the trough. This will keep your rigs and baits from flying out of the water and looking less than natural to the tuna. You might not be in for as comfy a ride, but you will be able to catch fish this way. Consider using red or yellow line to help you see and identify your line. This has not been known to inhibit the bite in any way.
Never touch your bait or line with bare hands. Rub all your leaders with alcohol before you use them, and wear surgical gloves when baiting your hook. Use some floss to sew some squid tentacles onto the hook of every single bait. You can also use shmeg or pork rinds on your stinger in a pinch. Many fish are lost after you hook them and get them to the boat, when they run under the boat and get away. Just make sure your trim tabs are always up all the way while putting your riggers.
Change your trolling speed depending on what you are after. From five to just over five knots is best for medium sized bluefin tuna. Three to Four knots is best for giant tuna.
Look for the whales. If you can spot whales, you will find tuna nearby. The truth is, they are all looking for forage. Whales are the best hunters in the sea, and the tuna follow them wherever they go in hopes of finding food. Drag rigs right in front of the whales for good results.
If you see a feeding frenzy, fish the outer edges of it. Don’t get right over the fish, but give them room to bust. The largest tuna will be at the edges of the frenzy, and you can pick them up there.
Try to fish quiet areas where you see signs of the tuna being present. Heavily fished areas are actually the most difficult to catch in.Try to fish on the Southern or Western winds, and don’t fish on the full or new moon, for best results when it comes to fishing for tuna.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best saltwater fishing information possible. Get more information on saltwater trolling here: http://www.asksaltwaterfishing.com/