During the recent tuna fishing seasons, anglers
along the Virginia coast experimented with a little known method
for catching large bluefin tuna. The tactic was to drift a
rigged bait along areas known to hold large bluefin. The large bluefin
congregate to feed on concentrations of bait on humps, hills and
ridges of the 20 to 30 fathom lines. This method works when the fish are holding
tight on structure perhaps feeding on small red hake or squid.
It also works well in combination with a shark line or an angler
jigging for tuna. The technique is similar to boats that
slow troll baits deep in
the the same areas.
Tackle is surprisingly simple for this type of
fishing. Bait varies, and anglers report success with a variety
of baits such as butterfish, whole squid, ballyhoo and other
small fish. A 50-80 lb class outfit is preferred and braided
line can be a big asset in reaching the bottom. A simple 6-12
foot leader armed with a circle hook seems to work well.
The
lighter lines used for surface chunking are actually not
required at these depths, which makes the fishing a little more
consistent in terms of boating hooked fish. The bait is feed out
about 50-75 feet, then a 10-30 oz sinker is added on the line
with a rubber band. The rig is then lowered to the bottom, and
cranked back up about 10-20 feet. Keeping the bait near the
bottom seems to be the key, which warrants selecting the correct
amount of weight to match the drift conditions.
In 2005 and 2006 technique
first hand with dramatic results. Within seconds of setting a
line fish were hooked up. The fish may continue to be caught
using this technique for
weeks or appear and disappear overnight.
Fishing for Bluefin Tuna
Fishing for Yellowfin Tuna
Daisy chains, spreader bars and other rigs for tuna fishing
Offshore fishing using spreader bars
Rigging Offshore Baits
Ballyhoo rigs
Cedar Plugs
Cleaning your Catch
Seafood Recipes
Fishing Reports
Fishing Techniques
GPS Coordinates
