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Thunnus
thynnus, Bluefin Tuna, is one of the greatest fighters
in the ocean. Being one of the largest fish and it’s stream
line shape makes it the most powerful fish you can catch.
Thynnus can be found in temperate and subtropical waters
and they are one of a few fish that can generate it’s own
body heat allowing it to survive a wide range of water
temperatures.
In April and
May, the Bluefin move to the north past Bimini and by June
they are entrenched in the waters of southern New England.
During the fall they begin to head down the coast to the
south and close to shore. Some will actually make a
transatlantic journey to northern Europe.
Bluefin feed
throughout the water column, but are usually caught at the
surface where the feed on mackerel, herring, menhaden,
squid, bluefish, skipjacks and bonito. One of the best
methods is to drift or anchor and chunk to set up a slick.
Menhaden, butterfish, mackerel and herring make great baits:
fresh is the best, but frozen is a proven alternative. Begin
chunking before dawn to establish a well-defined slick. Do
not feed them, only attract them. So, throw four to six
pieces every couple of minutes. The best “first bite” is at
dawn.
Set out five
rods. Two baits will bet set out in the slick with the use
of balloons and baits at different depths. One bait is set
directly under the boat. The other two will be set out using
outriggers and place one bait 20 feet above the bottom and
the other at mid-depth. The drags should be set in the
“strike” position.
Trolling for
small Bluefin, “Footballs”, using 5 rigs is a standard,
deployed with outriggers and flat lines, or as many as seven
if you boat can handle it. The lures are set out on the back
of the boat’s waves: third to seventh wake. Trolling is
usually a blind method, but when a school is spotted feeding
on the surface, try to troll in front of the school. This
will usually pay off. For giant Bluefin, use a spreader bar
with multiple plastic squids at a speed of 5 knots. Use
three spreader bars without letting the bar plow threw the
water. Outriggers are a must for this type of application.
30# to 50# class
rod and reels with at least 600 yards of line is standard
for the “schoolie” size Bluefin: up to 150lbs. Leader size
should be 150lb mono or Flouro-carbon leader. For giants,
80# class set-ups are a minimum using 300lb to 400lb mono or
Flouro-carbon leaders. The Mustad Southern Tuna Hook, 2X or
3X strong, in sizes between 5/0 to 12/0 are traditionally
used, depending on the fish’s size. |
