Author: The Tree Guy
Flawless Rigging & Gear For Catching Bluefin Tuna On Spinners!
The most common question I am asked during the season is "How do you ensure your rigging and gear is flawless for Bluefin?" Well a question like this could take hours to answer so I just fill them in with the basics.
The Gear
The Reels
So lets start with the basics, the gear. I use a Shimano Stella 14,000-20,000 depending what sized fish are around. Now with the smaller reel (14,000) you run the risk of hooking a bigger fish on the light tackle and eventually losing the fish because you're underpowered. If I could only have one Stella for casting I would have the 18,000. This is because it has the line capacity but it is the perfect size to cast and handle throughout the day.
The Rods
Now to match the reel I use a few different brands of rods. The go to is a custom rod by Crafty One Customs called the "challenger" rod he has is one of my favorite rods for Bluefin yet. The other rod I Really enjoy is the Shimano Ocea rod which is very pricy but you do get what you pay for.
What Lines Do You Need For Catching Bluefin On Spinning Tackle?
Now that we have the rod and reel what do you line the reels with? Well that is a preference question but I have had the most luck with the Bullbuster 100lb Hollow Core Braid. Now that braid is a bigger diameter then normal braid so when I use the lighter set up I prefer the 65lb braid just because of line capacity. For my leader I use Bullbuster 60-130lb Fluorocarbon depending on the time of year and the lure we are using for the day.
Lure Selection For Bluefin Tuna
Lure selection is one of the most controversial things a Bluefin fishermen will talk about. But after dealing with bait shops and personally on the water everyday the two main casting Lures I see/use are the RonZ and the Strategic Angler plug. The RonZ comes in many colors and is a subsurface soft bait which is great for targeting deeper water fish as well as top water fish. The strategic angler plug is a top water lure that is a custom plug the Tuna cannot resist. We will get into the different styles of lures in the next few articles but for now with those two you will have a very high success rate.
The rigging part of the set up it the most important for the angler to perfect. I connect my braid to the fluorocarbon with the"FG" knot. After that I make my leader a rod length so I can get max casting out of the set up and I tie on a 1/0 swivel and connect the lure to the swivel with a size 9 split ring.
With all of this information you can successfully rig a basic Bluefin casting set up! If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will answer them right away!
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