Tuna Fishing Tips and Tricks

Fishing for tuna is one of the most interesting of all sports fishing activities. While several hundred thousand tons of these fish are taken commercially on a yearly basis it is the action of trying to catch a single tuna that brings people the world over from the comforts of home to the fishing grounds of the briny deep. Tuna is a saltwater fish that comes in several varieties. The two most well known are albacore and yellow fin. However, blue fin, black fin, and big eye tuna are also quite popular fish.

The yellow fin tuna is the type most anglers are seeking when they think of fishing for these hunters of the deep. This type of tuna is capable of exceeding two hundred pounds, though most will be found at around half that weight. If an angler is seeking one of these larger tuna types they will want to work with much heavier test line, rods, and reels. They may want to use these anyway since there is always the chance that an angler might hook something else. This is especially true if they use a chumming technique to bring the school of tuna their way. The chances of picking up a large shark while following a tuna school are not low and these are another very large deep water hunter. A lesser rod might snap considering the fact that such creatures can easily be two to three times heavier than the average tuna. A few record holders have weighed in at around half a ton!

Diamond jigs are considered to be one of the best tackle types to use when tuna fishing. This leads to a hard choice between rods. Many individuals will choose to utilize a heavy deep-sea fishing rod since a diamond jig can be used with such. It is practically a necessity if a larger tuna is hooked. Anything over fifty pounds might break a lesser rod. However, some people prefer a lighter seven or eight foot surf rod instead. These seem to be easier to work with when casting and work well in combination with a Gimbal belt to keep the butt of the rod from drilling into the fisherman as they work with their catch.

Tuna is a school fish. They swim in very large groups. To convince an individual tuna to visit your section of the water and stick around it will usually be necessary to chum the water at reasonable intervals. One of the best chum types is chopped up porgie. It is important to grind the porgie finely as the key to this type of chumming is to attract the tuna without actually feeding them. If done properly the tuna will go nuts and snap at anything they see that looks reasonably like dinner. Typically this will be the fisherman's diamond jig.