Party boat tuna tackle question

[kyle7683]

Booked my first tuna trip on a NS out of point pleasant for September. Any advice on tackle?

I was leaning towards a Kevin Bogan 7' standup rod but i am lost on the reel.

I have tried to contact the boat with no avail to see if they allow braid on their chunking reels, which, if the case, i would go with an Avet EX30 spooled with braid along with a mono topshot if you experienced guys think that would work

Any other advice/suggestions from you guys?
thanks

[Beer30]

The PB I tuna fish on will allow braid on your chunking rod as long as you have at least 300 yards of mono topshot. I recommend a Shimano TLD50II. They hold enough line if the fish are deep and/ot if they're big

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Beer30

The PB I tuna fish on will allow braid on your chunking rod as long as you have at least 300 yards of mono topshot. I recommend a Shimano TLD50II. They hold enough line if the fish are deep and/ot if they're big

Most ridiculous thing i hav heard about this so far.Why bother just use mono.

[thecow18]

i use braid backing with 50lb momoi diamond mono topshot...the 50lb breaks at around 80lb....you can fit more line into your spool by using this brand....costs a little more but worth it because now you get to use a smaller reel like a 30w.....I have a 50w as well and it gets pretty heavy....I bring the 50w as a backup but normally use the 30w.....you don't need mono line heavier then this especially if you are only using 40lb to 60lb leader and setting your drag to the recommended setting of 15 to 17lbs at strike for yellowfin.....doesn't make sense to use an extremely heavy main line when your leaders are only 60lbs or less.....if big eyes or swords are biting that night then I will switch over to my 50w with 80lbs monoi main line and use 80lb leader with 20lb drag at strike or slightly more....

also, I agree with the guys above when they say, the rail is your friend. Get a 7 ft rod and use the rail, you will put a hurting on the tuna by using the rail to put pressure on them.....save your back as well....no need for fishing belt.....

setting your drag, the rule of thumb is to set your drag between 20% to 30% of your smallest line. if your mainline if 50lb or 80lb and your leader is 40 lbs......then you need to take the smallest line which is the 40 lb and calculate 40 * .2 = 8lb or 40 *.3 = 12lb, average of about 10lb of drag max 12lbs at strike....if your mainline is only 50lb and its stated braking strength is only 50 and you use a 80lb leader then you need to calculate using the 50 *.2 or 50 * .3 calculation......

I have been using the Okuma Makaira 50w for tuna chunking and it has performed perfectly......I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone the Okuma Makaira reels.....

hope this helps.

[kyle7683]

thanks for all the replies fellas, ended up going with the avet exw30 and matched with a custom bogan rod. Just unsure now on what line to put on? whether it be straight mono or braid with a topshot. The boat im going on requires a 100 yd topshot of mono with braid

[PortlyRedhead]

Originally Posted by kyle7683

thanks for all the replies fellas, ended up going with the avet exw30 and matched with a custom bogan rod. Just unsure now on what line to put on? whether it be straight mono or braid with a topshot. The boat im going on requires a 100 yd topshot of mono with braid

Give yourself at least 200 yards of mono so you can sacrifice 25 yards from a tangle or more from a breakoff under the boat, even if you have a backup reel &/or combo. For bigeye fishing, we use 225-250 yard topshots with long rigger baits fished almost to the braid. After a bite, we feel a lot better once the splice is back on the reel.

[2na]

I think you're on the right track...Kevin will steer you in the right direction. Personally, I think 7' is the perfect length for a party boat chunking rod. On a party boat, tuna often make runs under the boat and the length of a 7' rod gives you the ability to "follow" the fish under to help to keep your line off the keel and away from the screws.
That Avet reel will actually hold just enough 60lb mono for tuna chunking, approx 270yd. However, to be safe, you'd probably want to go with 100-150yd of 65lb braid backing with 180-200yd of 60lb mono on top (gives you a little more buffer). Nowadays, party boats have come to accept braid, AS BACKING ONLY, on chunking outfits.
Good boats and crews will often "loan" you a jigging outfit to try if you'd like to give jigging a shot. Jigging is more physical and tiring so, you may want to start with chunking but, the experience is definitely worth trying if you get a chance.
Just be cautious...party boat canyon tuna fishing can be VERY addicting!

Shorts

[BCinerie]

6 1/2 -7 foot. Tuna rod , Penn 50t with 80 or 60 lb mono. I have a 4outfits from 50-80 lb Usually the lighter one is for jigging heavier for chunking. I have caught 100's on a 6/0 Penn but the international 2 speed makes it much more enjoyable. It is addicting and 30/40 percent of tuna trips get canceled for weather. Good luck!😀😀

[Grateful Dad]

Maybe a dumb question, but why would you use braid as a backing, or under a 200 yard topshot of mono? Don't you lose all the benefit of the braid(low stretch, etc.)? Plus, it seems like a pretty expensive backing material, since you're probably not going to have 200 yards of line out at a time, no?

[AVA67]

If you get on a decent party boat tuna chunk bite tangles are inevitable. Braided line and big fast fish are just a really bad combination. As far as I know currently all party boats tuna fishing in NJ have Mono only or (200+ yard top shot rules). If you have two fish hooked one with mono and one with braid and the lines touch, the mono fish will be sawed off the vast majority of the time. It is also incredibly dangerous for the mates attempting to untangling the crossed lines. Especially as a new angler to this type of fishing you could / will have the ability to great negatively affect the trip for those fishing around you.

The reason that some people choose to have braided line backing is to increase their line capacity in the event of a large big eye, swordfish, or allison tuna it is amazing how fast 300 yards of line can melt off of your reel. Many prefer to have the ability to fish a smaller lighter reel (30 class) while still having 400+ yards of 80 lb line.

I also think mono has a distinct advantage for chunking tuna. The stretch in the line is a great advantage with the violent head shakes as well as keeping tension on the line as through the belly on the line as fish quickly changes direction or charges the boat.

Your first few tuna trips will be learning experiences. Spool up with 80 pound mono (leaves you a larger margin for error with drag settings and abrasion resistances with tangles and other lines) and enjoy your trip.