First offshore tuna trip help!!

[Armofisher818]

Im gonna take my first 1 day soon already booked the trip, its gonna be my first trip offshore and i need some help from you guys. The guy on the phone said were gonna be flylining baits but should i take weights just in case? And how should i hook the bait? Im only gonna take two setups one with 50# spectra and im gonna put 20# flouro and one with 40 or 30# mono am i underprepared? And what size hooks should i take with me? Any tips will be appreciated its gonna be my first time offshore and im kinda nervous. Thanks.

[christopherstellar]

Bro, keep it simple, no weights needed. Just buy 2/0 live bait hooks, Mustad brand. Buy a pack of 25. Rig one of your outfits with 20 lb floro and the other with 30 lb floro. I use P line Floroclear, cost you $10. Use a double uni knot for line connections. Use a palomar knot to tie on your hook. Most important thing, retie between fish or switch rods if the action is fast and furious. The key to getting bit is change out your bait every 90 sec and toss it as far from the boat as possible. Also, butt hook your sardines, they have been eating it better that way. Keep your line always in front of you and don't be afraid to tell people to get the &%$# out of the way. Make sure your drag is set correctly, looser is better than too tight. Good Luck and i hope you have a good quality saltwater reel and a rod that can put some serious leverage on the fish.

[RyO K]

I think youre set ups will do just fine. some might say put a longer top shot on your rig with spectra but as long as you follow your line and know where your bait is headed you'll be fine.

Also be ready for a trolling rotation. They usually will go in groups of 4 and you can borrow the boats trolling set up.

Belly or ***** hook the baits. They will swim down and will help the bait go away from the boat.

Hook sizes 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 J hooks and circle hooks.

hope this helps

[Armofisher818]

Bro, keep it simple, no weights needed. Just buy 2/0 live bait hooks, Mustad brand. Buy a pack of 25. Rig one of your outfits with 20 lb floro and the other with 30 lb floro. I use P line Floroclear, cost you $10. Use a double uni knot for line connections. Use a palomar knot to tie on your hook. Most important thing, retie between fish or switch rods if the action is fast and furious. The key to getting bit is change out your bait every 90 sec and toss it as far from the boat as possible. Also, butt hook your sardines, they have been eating it better that way. Keep your line always in front of you and don't be afraid to tell people to get the &%$# out of the way. Make sure your drag is set correctly, looser is better than too tight. Good Luck and i hope you have a good quality saltwater reel and a rod that can put some serious leverage on the fish.

Thanks bro ill get the flouro seaguar is 15$ for 25 yards Which is crazy! I heard casting a butt hooked sardine is hard, is it really?

[That Dang Guy]

Thanks bro ill get the flouro seaguar is 15$ for 25 yards Which is crazy! I heard casting a butt hooked sardine is hard, is it really?

That's typical for fluoro leader material. It's definitely worth it. You'll probably only use about 2 yards at a time and should be good for a handful of fish.

Think of it as an investment. A spool will last you 3 trips without much of an issue.
A 20lb and a 30lb rig will get you a long way.

I have two simple rules for new guys going offshore:

1. "No angles, no tangles." Always keep your line in front of you. If they don't cross others, you'll have less tangles.

2. "The faster she swims, the faster she'll get bit" Change out baits often since baits that swim well, get bit first. But don't be afraid to long soak a bait if the short soak isn't working.

Other than that, have fun!

[DockRat]

Good luck Armo. If they are biting you can nose hook too.
When someone hooks up on the troll BE READY.
Be ready to grab a bait, don't watch the guy fish. Don't grab a bait too early.
The captain will say when to cast sometimes. If they are biting I check the line abrasion and don't re-tie every time.
DR

[Armofisher818]

Thanks alot guys and thanks DR for wishing me luck. Ill post a report soon as ill get on the computer. Heading over to the tackle shop after school. Good luck and tight lines.

[bachiboy]

I heard casting a butt hooked sardine is hard, is it really?

It can be a little tricky. Don't rear back and jolt the bait as you cast it. Leave a decent amount of line hanging (3ft or so) and let it swing like a pendulum. As the bait swings away from you, let it fly in a windmill type motion, again not jerking on the bait. Watch other guys on the boat when they cast. You'll see guys that can fling a bait well. Keep mental notes on what they're doing. It doesn't always come easy, but you'll get the hang of it.:Wink: Like DR said, if the bite is going off, just nose hook the bait...they don't fly off as easy. Either way...as soon as your bait hits the water, backpedal the spool to give tension to the bait. That way, there's a better chance that it will swim away from the boat...a bait hiding under the boat ain't gonna get bit. Keep in contact with your bait, don't just let out a bunch of slack...you'll just be asking for tangles and with spectra, it can be a nightmare.

Good luck out there! Looking forward to a great report! :Wink:

Don

[LGHT]

Good tips, but I don't belly or butt hook my dines. I found they die too fast and with the bait problems this year most of it's dead before the day is over. Simple nose hook and keeping the line tight will make the bait run. If I need to get the bait down deep to say 100' a 1oz weight works great. I also take a jigging stick and a long 10" knife that I crack as fast as possible from the deep to the surface when they are down deep and won't come up to play. That's a good way to get fish when the rest of the boat is just killing bait on the surface.

[Armofisher818]

Thanks for the help and wishing me luck.

[DockRat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IqbvjkZC1k


just nose hook


http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k550/superflybsmoove_independentwrestlingsnapshotartist/MLW%20TRENTON%20TN%20March%2019th%202011/IMG_6053.jpg

[Armofisher818]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IqbvjkZC1k


http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k550/superflybsmoove_independentwrestlingsnapshotartist/MLW%20TRENTON%20TN%20March%2019th%202011/IMG_6053.jpg

Lol the referees lucky.

[bachiboy]

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k550/superflybsmoove_independentwrestlingsnapshotartist/MLW%20TRENTON%20TN%20March%2019th%202011/IMG_6053.jpg

:EyePop::ROFL:Looks like a "4/0" hook...little overkill for that nose don't ya think? But, she'd definately be a wigglin'!:Wink: