Going on a Tuna PB this fall, this is my equipment..opinions?

[AndyS]

I saw a group of college men pile onto a tuna party boat trip one year, not knowing anything about fishing I presume. They would hook a good size tuna and put that rental rod under their arm and crank the handle like crazy, almost like reeling in 60 pound bluefish !! So rods and reels can be a long discussion, what is a short discussion is your terminal tackle,

60 lb. smoke grey Jinkai line and and assortment of leader material, fluorocarbon Saegaur in 60, 50, and 40 pound test. GOOD swivels, not the junk ones that are $1.00 for ten, more like the barrel swivels that are $1.00 each. A selection of egg sinkers, 1 oz through 6 oz. Owner Gorilla hooks, go big, don't be shy.

With the amount of mahi on most trips try to scare up a good heavy duty spinning outfit to bring along.

[mak7464]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I saw a group of college men pile onto a tuna party boat trip one year, not knowing anything about fishing I presume. They would hook a good size tuna and put that rental rod under their arm and crank the handle like crazy, almost like reeling in 60 pound bluefish !! So rods and reels can be a long discussion, what is a short discussion is your terminal tackle,

60 lb. smoke grey Jinkai line and and assortment of leader material, fluorocarbon Saegaur in 60, 50, and 40 pound test. GOOD swivels, not the junk ones that are $1.00 for ten, more like the barrel swivels that are $1.00 each. A selection of egg sinkers, 1 oz through 6 oz. Owner Gorilla hooks, go big, don't be shy.

With the amount of mahi on most trips try to scare up a good heavy duty spinning outfit to bring along.

Great Advice on the Terminal Tackle. I am taking notes. for spinning gear I got a Penn 8500SS with a 6'6" 30 lb rod and a 650SS with a 6' 20 lb rod to choose from. figure you use the spinning outfit to bait fish as well?

Talk to me about Rigging, length of leaders, Knots of choice, hook sizes....

[Capt. Lou]

Use BB barrel swivels , from Quik Rig or Spro ! 250# test
Palomar knot to both swivel ends
Leader 6-10’ of 70-90 nite 40-60 in daylight if bites are tough
Fluoro leaders are superior in the slick , they sink and present bait better straightened no memory !
Hook Quik Rig Charlie Brown circles 5-7/0
Palomar knot to hook or double nail
I like spin rods in the slick but on PB it’s tougher due to crowd
On occasion the spin set allows you to present bait further out into slick however u. Can handline with rail rod holder achieving same results
Your basic tackle has taken 1000’s of tuna , you can always Up grade if u feel the need on later trips .
Jigging set ups , are more state of the art but u.can jig with your lighter outfit
I would use braid on that outfit if allowed or long top shot over braid
Invest in fresh line , I prefer Sunline or Momoi mono & fluoro
If you can visit a sponsor shop and they can assist in getting u rigged correctly
Or attend a seminar @ Saltwater show if they offer one !

[AndyS]

I've seen people have trouble with Momoi line, Jinkai is superior. I remember when all the rental rods had circle hooks, that lasted a few seasons and went away, nothing like GUT hooking a big yellowfin, you can bleed it while reeling it in. A lip hooked tuna will fight forever, a bleeding gut hooked tuna will give up faster, why I like those big fat Owner Gorilla hooks.
Either of those spinning outfits will work fine for mahi. When you speak of bait fishing it could be live 2 lb chub mackerel or squid, so a freshwater rod can be brought along also, just TRY not to over pack.

[Capt. Lou]

Momoi or Sunline are the very best lines I’ve ever used ! I fished big game tournaments , taken several giants to over 1000lbs never any line issues . Not sure what line problems you or others had with Momoi but I never have !
Circle hooks have landed hundreds of tuna for me personally , gut hooking occurs
on rare occasions , however if they are used correctly no issues at all ! They land more big game fish and allow for humane releases then other types hooks and many tournaments now require there use !

[Pennsy Guy]

You should be O.K. with that gear for your first trip...Most, if not all tuna fishing PB's require a mono top shot at least 100' for jigging. I use 125' 50# mono as most marks are around 100-150'...Later, if the bug bites you, you can -and will want to- upgrade and expand your gear.... Don't skimp on costs for line, leader or hooks...they're the ONLY connection between the fish and you! Most PB's supply barrel swivels on their supplied hook rigs but most patrons use ball bearing swivels...I've read that they should be rated 3x line strength as a rule... I can see that for the large game fish & swordys but not so much for the tuna (including Big Eye) caught here in the canyons...