Tuna Terminal Tackle
 

Hey Everyone I was just wondering if you could help me answer a few small questions.

I hooked into my first (2) giant bluefin today on spinning gear with a top water plug, and after crapping my pants witnessing the most awesome violent thing I've ever seen, and a blistering run, both fish broke off somewhere in the braid... heartbreaking, but awe inspiring at the same time...

We had saragosa 18000 reels with 65lb pp and wind-on leaders on with crimped on split ring to attach to the plug. I think we need bigger test braid and flouro to stand up to the caliber of fish we got into today, which is kind of a given, but I'm just curious what kind of terminal tackle you fellas use for a spinning outfit, and also what kind of knots you use to connect leader to main line, or if you use a barrel swivel ect...

Thanks

If it was me I'd go back with 80W's and leave the spinning gear at home with fish that size...

Uh oh.... another soul wrecked. My humble opinion; spin on small fish. Medium, large, and true giants with spin have two outcomes: you most likely lose the fish, or if by some chance you do bring it to the boat, the fish is cooked, literally, from the fight. I don't even put out my 50 wides if the fish class looks to be >70". Gearing up according to the class of fish is respecting the fishery. Expensive game. Sounds like you have already drunk the Kool aid......

O Without a doubt we were undergunned and outmatched by those class fish, we should have been better prepared, you're right. But for targeting smaller footballs, same question?

DITTO

Hmmm........

I have 4 spinning set ups (2 jig 2 pop) and 2 are spooled with 80lb jb hollow and 2 with 100lb jb hollow, 100 & 130lb wind on leaders.....

Congrats for hooking up Johnny!!! Sorry for the loss!!!

I'm not an expert on this but I've done a lot of research,
What length is you flouro leader? Your leader should be at least the length of the target fish or greater, the tuna tail will fray the line.
I have 80lb braid and won't go lighter, after watching "on the water" episode of jigging tuna they reeled up a giant using Jerry Brown hollow core white. He also marked the last 100 yards with a red marker to let him know the end was coming.
Some guys like to leave the leader short enough so they won't cast the knots through the guides. I have trouble casting this way.

I use a 90lb flouro leader 6' exposed 3' into the wind on and use a loop to loop connection. You tube has a lot of good video on this subject.

I have hooked up once and can't wait for the next time!!! I'm the only person to drop a tuna on PRBuzz's boat and he lets me know from time to time....
Learned my lesson, better gear and do more research.

Hope this helps,
OD

Tuna 360

Book a trip with Dom of Coastal Charters !!!

He also has a very good easy read 3 part read that covers everything you need to know about spinning for tuna on his site.

I saw Dom out there yesterday and he is strictly jig n pop. For spinnining Moses has it right,I sent my reels to Basil Pappas to spool with JB hollow with a loop spliced into the tail for a loop to loop connection. He took a 400+ pound fish with spinning gear earlier this week,I don't know how...VS reels will handle tuna in MOST situations and also the stella. I also have 50s to troll with that are packed with JB hollow.I would personally cry if I hooked a fish over 200 pounds, they hurt. Tuna love RonZs! To me, spinfishing for tuna is as fun as fishing gets. Yesterday was slow compared to the previous few days.

Thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it. Can't wait to land one of those suckers, better do some pushups or somethin :musc:

Yup, Basil spooled all my reels too. And I use his windon (loop to loop connection) leaders.

This is how not to rig for spinning tuna.

Attaching a snap swivel to fluoro to the lure. Don't ask. 200 lb tuna laugh at this.

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps63437e60.jpg

I use 60 lb hollow core JB, it actually tests into the 90's for breaking strength. Loop to loop to a windon leader and you have full breaking to the end of you leader. Like others said your leader needs to long enough so the fishes tail doesn't rub on the braid. At the end of the leader use a strong swivel and strong split ring to change lures.
Use various windon leaders depending on the size of the fish. The larger fish use 100 to 130. Basil's windons and streamline windons are the best. They both have info to learn to make your own.

Thats a googan pic:love:

Yes, yes it is.

That was a long time ago in a galaxy far away.