Need some help from all you Tunaholics

[edsr]

What size rod and reel would you use for albies? Is salmon gear heavy enough?

There have been some posts of tuna in the 100 lb class. Is there a rod and reel combo that would work for both without being overkill for albies and spooled for larger fish?

Hope to fish tuna next season and am trying to prepare now.

regards,
edsr

[Miss B Haven]

I've been running my Sturgeon gear and it's worked just fine. Good stiff 7-0 rod and a Diawa Sealine 50H loaded with 50 lb tuff (250 yds) on top of 80 dacron backing. Haven't hooked into the big one yet though.
Landed lots of sails and stripes in Mexico on similar gear. Don't expect a problem. Might have to chase Mr Bill if we hook him up but that's OK too! :grin:
Salmon gear- no way. Your doing 6-9 knots when that 20-30 lb fish hits and goes the opposite direction at twice that speed. Bust a salmon rod or spool ya in nothing flat. :shocked:
From the stories on the board though - don't trust your fishon rod holders! Mine are all flush "in gunnel" or rocket launchers for TUNA

[ 12-18-2002, 05:29 PM: Message edited by: Miss B Haven ]

For trolling a 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 rod (my kids got me a Lamiglass IC 66 XH for my birthday this year) that can handle 20-40 pound line, and a reel with a high quality drag that will hold 400 yds or more of 65 to 85 lb line. I have one Penn 112H (2/0) and two 113H (3/0).
My old Diawa halibut rods are just right too.

Casting or live bait gear can be lighter (from reading not experience). I plan on using my Lamiglass "Heavy Bouncer" 7'9" 15-40 lb rod and an Ambassadeur 6501 C4 for casting.

With the speed that you will be trolling you need to have a fairly heavy rod.

[Pilar]

Lots of line is good. I hate to stop the boat when somebody wimps out on a standup rod. Stopping the boat usually means that you lose track of the school and miss the chance for doubles or even better. When you are not line challenged you can let that fish have a long first run and start circling the boat before you even touch the rod.

Typical gear for me is (minimum) Yellow pole, ugly stick Tiger BWC2202 7', 10# - 50#, a 4/0 Penn senator (500yds - 80# tuff) or 50H (350yds 80# tuff). Smooth drag is a must and use fiberglass rods, I think the graphite is too 'precious'. One hard knock on the gunnel and the next strike will snap it.

The other rod is the black ugly stick, whopper whipper, BWB1120, 8', 40#-80#.

Some of the guys on 'Puffin' used heavy steelhead rods to cast swimbaits at fish schooled around the boat. Even with the boat stopped it was not pretty.

A Tuna strike is a trainwreck. You cannot be told about it, you have to see it to beleive it.

[puffins crew]

I agree with you, John. I have never witnessed a standup pole being more brutalized than watching an Albicore just terrorize a skipping bait, and hear the reel scream its one long song.

I have been using my Halibut heavy sturgeon setup. Daiwa sealine 50h with 400 yards of 65lb tuff, and my trusty G Loomis salt water series SWR 84-40C 7' medium fast action 30-50# one piece fish slaying stick.

I also have a Daiwa Sealine 910 rock cod special spooled with 130# tuff for strong backup.

You really must be there in person to recieve the full gravity of just what a tuna strike really is like.

Peace, Tom

[WP]

Stop it...you guys are killin' me! 190 days to the TUNA train.....
WP :smile:

[ 12-18-2002, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: WP ]

[Myles]

If I have tuna in the boat I'll got to a lighter rod with jigs or swimbaits. You can always buy fish, but that much fun is hard to come by.

myles

[OceanBlue]

And if you don't have the holders Miss B describes, for heaven's sake, get a safety strap for that gear! (and check the drag, check the drag, check the drag) :grin:

Mr. Bill is not safe next season. I'm not losing another rig!

How about it Ugly Green? You with me on this one?

[Mr. Fisherman]

A Tuna strike is a trainwreck. You cannot be told about it, you have to see it to beleive it.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Johnboy, Show me don't tell me! :grin:

[Popeye]

I have 4 rods that I run.....3 of them are 5'5" Shakespear Tidewaters w/ Penn 345 GTi 5/0 reels, 1 is a Penn International 7'7" 80# w/Penn International 50VSW 5/0 reel. The 345's are spooled w/500 yards 80# Tuffline, and the 50VSW w/1200 yards 80# Tuffline. If Bill hits any of them, I think I'll be OK, but I do run the big stick back the furthest hoping that Bill decides to hit that one......But you know what Murphy says [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

[edsr]

Many thanks for all the info. I do have a sturgeon rod and a 50h Diawa that has been gathering corrosion and dust. Also have a promise from family for a couple of 4/0 reels and whatever garage sale rods they can come up with. O.K. that looks do-able.

[Miss B Haven]

edsr - If you don't find any TUNA poles at Garage sales, they've got $20 penn solid fiberglass poles at FMS. Nothing fancy, but solid glass will take the abuse that the Albis are going to give you. I got a couple on sale for $15. Can't buy a new guide for a good pole for that. Kinda like disposable poles! Too bad there white and not yellow, but what do you want for $15-20 ?
Sensitivity is NOT in a TUNA fishermans dictionary! :grin:

[OceanBlue]

Mel! Tuna fisherPERSON, if you please! :grin:

Those poles sound great! Bummer they aren't yellow, but white will show the tuna blood so much the better!

PM,
I don't do "Fisherperson" :shocked: . Come on be a man! :smile:

[OceanBlue]

Wrong anatomy

Man like in Hu Man :smile:

[id. painter]

Pardon me bardging in, but this sounds too cool. Where are you fishing , is my 20' sea rummer enough boat to chase these beasts? How far out are they ? What is the bait? It sounds like something i want to do.Im already excited. id. painter

[OceanBlue]

id,

I'm not an expert on marine boating, but it would seem to me that you shouldn't have a problem if she's seaworthy.

The "Dogs" all run small boats. The Pilar is 19'.

Bait? What's bait? :grin:

Run through the archives here to learn more about tuna.

We were killin' 'em at 25-30 miles last summer.

[Miss B Haven]

id - weren't you the one who was posting about being concerned about crossing bars? (looking for a place to catch salmon without bar crossing?). :whazzup:
If so- You are ging to have a tuff time with the TUNA. We go out 15-20 miles in a best case situation, 50 is not uncommon. You won't find any TUNA up in the sound or the straights.
Lots of folks here do the run in a boat your size. Fuel cap (range) and electonics are important. If you are ready to try this repost and you'll get a lot more info. Gotta be willing to go out in the big blue though!
:smile:

[skein]

I am being drawn inexplicably into an endless safari on the sea. Pilar's Mate speaks of tears in her eyes caused by the beauty of the blue. Miss B tells of dolphins dancing around the wake while UglyGreen slips through the fog into harms way. Then, finally, Pilar tells me that a tuna strike is a train wreck, and that I can't believe....

Tuna are going to ruin my life, aren't they. I will go - and then I will be changed.

"I shall not fail that rendezvous"

Skein

[OceanBlue]

Any Questions?

This is a photo of Ugly Green heading out to hunt the tuna. 5 of us left together that morning. All 5 boats returned victorious (even Corrirod) - minus a few poles

It wasn't as flat as it appears in this photo. There were swells, but no wind when we left port.

[id. painter]

Miss B. Thanks for the reply. Im not scared of big blue just cautious.I mostly was asking about the bar, for a better understanding of it potential for trouble. Im very interested in getting more info about catching tuna . I come over to fish for salmon in Augest each year, and was wondering what other fishing is going on at that time. I stay at Fort Canby . Are you guys fishing then, (tuna). Give me more... id. painter

id,
Remember to have two of everything important (VHF, GPS, etc.) and run with at least one other boat. You will often be out of radio range of shore so you will have to rely on your running partners if you have a break down or other problems. And as PM and the Ugly Green Bluefin Catcher found out, strap your rods down :shocked:

[ 12-20-2002, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]

[fish assassin]

Ha! Another poor soul lost to the call of TUNA!!
:grin:

-assAssin- (TUNA fisherperson (?) since 1992)

[id. painter]

I have been going out on Big Blue since i was 8 years old . I love it . Nothing like it. I always get so excited, cant hardly sleep. I also have my eyes set on a 90 mile boat ride from my dads house to Rivers Inlet in B.C.. I love this stuff. id. painter

[id. painter]

I will need some of you excellent fisherpeople to take me out, this summer. I will also get another G.P.S. . I have one but no back up. Yes i can tell im being drawn by some invisible force,,,, its pulling at me like 80# tough line...on an Ugly Stick ...id. painter

[id. painter]

You guy got me so excited, i changed my profile, and added a signature.I would love tag along on some of these trips.. Im a good helper and dont complain. id. painter

[WP]

I fish a 200 Searunner with a 130 honda on it...a little short of fuel capacity (being fixed this winter) otherwise quite adequate. The Searunner is a very stable and sound platform. Capacity to cool and store the catch is also something to consider! I echo the advice elsewhere of running with others and have a lot of redundency in safety equipment. There is a ton of information in the archieves and any specifics, these guys are quick to answer...no zipperlips here!
The sea is not to be feared, but respected completely. Its power and arbitrary nature make it an equal opportunity risk. Preparation gives you better odds but nothing is a sure thing and no tuna is worth adding to the risk!
This summer is going to be SO awesome! Power to TA members everywhere!
WP

[id. painter]

You guy got me so excited, i changed my profile, and added a signature.I would love tag along on some of these trips.. Im a good helper and dont complain. id. painter

[Miss B Haven]

id - August is THE time to go. Keep in touch. Ft Canby is a Foreign Country (Washington) but I'm sure you can get a passport to cross the Bridge into Gods Country (Oregon).
Hopefully we can get you an open spot for a run. Can't really plan these things to far in advance. You gotta watch the temp and the ocean forecast and then just do it! How long are you usually down in Aug? :smile:

[id. painter]

My boat has a 150 opti-max and a 54gal tank, and a 9.9 kicker.I do not have anyone else to ask or tag along with. I dont know anyone who fishes tuna. id.painter

[Lepper]

Well since we are talking about this.. What is the best way to figure your boats range? I AM going for tuna next year (19ft alumaweld stryker) and I have a 90hp suzuki 40 stroke with 40 gallons of gas..... So tell me how to figure it so I can make sure I will have plenty of gas for the trip.. :smile:

dave

[id. painter]

Ive been comming over the second week of Augest. Last year i got there just as they met the quota on kings in the ocean and closed it. I was bumbed and had planned to come a little sooner to avoid the closure in 2003. But i can alter and adjust as needed. I get my whole summer off from work. I watch my kids (catch fish) all summer.id. painter

[fish assassin]

Originally posted by Lepper:
Well since we are talking about this.. What is the best way to figure your boats range? I AM going for tuna next year (19ft alumaweld stryker) and I have a 90hp suzuki 40 stroke with 40 gallons of gas..... So tell me how to figure it so I can make sure I will have plenty of gas for the trip.. :smile:

dave

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">WOWZERS!! A 40 stroke! Must be quite the engine!!


-assAssin-

It idles at 500,000 RPM :grin:

[id. painter]

Sorry for mis-spellings and punctuation , im in the process of teaching 8th grade as i write, i teach art, and dont spend the time to edit .I hope you can forgive me , and still help me get a tuna. I end up making these posts with lots of action going on around me .I make lots of mistakes. I have never been good typing and now that my fingers are numb(spinal injury) its really hard .Please forgive me . I dont have any trouble until i get an entire class of 8th graders running around. Sorry.. id. painter

[skein]

I'm one of the sled runners (isn't that Christmassy) and mine is going on the block this spring. I will be buying a boat with a deeper V, covered bow, and much more fuel capacity. I really like my sled but it has cost me access to the ocean. It is NOT a bar boat - at least not for me.

Skein

[Pilar]

Uglygreen uses the same setup, assAssin.

Minimal deck space and home made too. Gotta love that. Keta, if you make a round trip up and back or vice versa, the effects of current cancel and can be ignored. Man, I love algebra, it makes things dissapear!

Jen, thanks for the photo, that's what I'm talking about. Over the millennia the human race has been drawn to the sea. First men in little wooden boats and now men and women in little plastic or aluminum boats......same pull, different humans.



If you don't feel the pull when you look at Uglygreen's boat racing through the fog far from shore it's hopeless.

[ 12-20-2002, 01:50 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

Pilar,
What about the tides efect on the river curent?

[Lepper]

oops.. 4 stroke.. he he..... Anyway, i'm familiar with the ocean and have spent hours upon hours out trolling for salmon, and bottom fishing. furthest I have ever gone out is approx 8-9 miles. and that wasn't bad... I will do some fuel tests when the wheather gets better (and rivers get less logs in them) Maybe i'll run from bandon up to coquille (or arago) and back down to bandon.. or from bandon up to charleston or down to port orford.. would be a good time.
dave

[fishwhenican]

I have a 20' Koffler Bay-Bee Aluminum Sled with a deep-vee bow, flat bottom in the back so you could run a pump, the vee sticks below the line of the rest of the hull. It does a good job of cutting waves. (kind-a like a does everything ok but is great at nothing?)

115 hp Merc 4 stroke 40 gal. main tank I rigged a tank switch valve under the splashwell before the fuel filter with a quick connect. Just plug in a 6 gal. tank, prime and away you go. When that one gets close to empty, swap to the next one, or run on the main tank.

First TUNA trip (many more to come) 6 gal. covered warm-up and the first 30 miles. Total for the day 139 miles, 27 gallons burned. Trolling speed for tuna was 2700-2900 rpm.

I have gotten better than 7 miles per gallon Chinook WA to the CR bouy two days in a row. The rougher it is the more I trim the bow down to cut the waves, the more fuel it burns. Go by the 1/3 reserve plan. I really like the tank switch valve, no mess, and I leave one extra tank so I'll have 9 gal for the kicker just in case

[WP]

The Searunner is not a flat bottom. It has a deep forward andf flater "V" in the rear but is a "V" (thus not too efficient with pumps). The Alumaweld will pound more than a deeper "V". Aluminum boats are lighter and thus use less fuel than an equivilant fiberglass hull. Wind and seas (direction) have a big effect on my milage but speed has less. I plane easily and float fairly high (even with tuna). With expanded fuel, just be sure not to mass it all in the stern OR the bow. It is a lot of weight and effects the boats balance and rise.
It is going to be a great summer! WP

[Miss B Haven]

Pilar said: "Man, I love algebra, it makes things dissapear!" :smile:

John - I'll give you a cut to do my bills, taxes and worries in general! :grin:

[Pilar]

Hey, the red light is flashing on my desk!

We have a winner on register 3. You guys in the sleds beware of the flat bottom on your boats. It may work ok until Big blue gets an attitude. Then you are in for a pounding.

To figure fuel capacity you must make an endurance run of at least 3 hours at a typical speed. I can run all day at 20 mph on a calm ocean and I base all my calculations on that. This check run is done on a river, Columbia, under ideal conditions. So the mileage will never be that good on the ocean. If the ocean is flat and I am heavy with dead fish, I can run at almost 30 mph. If it is nasty I can't even plane and fuel use goes way up.

So I make the check run from Chinook landing to Bonneville and back. That is about the same distance as to the Chicken Ranch for Halibut. Usually I burn 22 gallons and drive 65 to 70 miles. I have never had a halibut trip go less than 88 miles. We always run to the same hole for halibut. On one particular day with exceptionally bad weather we burned 38 gallons instead of the usual 25.

Long drives for halibut is one thing. Tuna is quite another. Can your boat run for 12 hours nonstop and have no issues? When you get to the hole you don't stop and drift you just slow down and drag jigs at 8 to 10 mph. For most boats this speed is very inefficient. So you must get there and back and burn gas trolling as well.

So drive that check run at the speed you plan to run and get at least an idea of your mpg. Use the rule of thirds. One third to get there, one third to get back and one third reserve. Avoid the 5 gallon can nightmare. Buy a reserve, portable tank and fix it to the deck, plumb it in if possible. Transferring fuel at sea under those conditions can be a good way to start a fire.

Kurt of the Threemuch has installed a flow meter on his fuel system. This can give you more tools to manage your fuel use. They are spendy though. Tell us about that Kurt, are you happy?

Anyone wanting to Tuna fish in their boat should think about the worst ocean they have ever been on and how the boat in question handled it. If you don't know then find out on some less ardous trip.

There are some sled drivers here ..... speak up guys and tell us how it is.

[ 12-20-2002, 12:07 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[Mark Mc]

Hey id.painter, welcome aboard! That fuel capacity / range question is a good thing to start on. Just remember this: don't just figure your range based on being up on a plane, in flat calm weather!!! What is your economy going to be at 6 or 8 or 10 knots? Picture this: It's flat on the way out, 30 miles. Then you troll at 6 or 7 knots for 5 hours. Then the wind comes up from the northeast, and you're taking a shellacking all the way in, bucking it at 8 knots. So now you're not on a plane; you're "plowing" and getting far worse distance per gallon. What's your range now?
Oh. and since you are now pitching & rolling, and your tank is getting low, that's exactly when the dirt in your tank gets sucked into the fuel line. Not trying to scare you; just think this through, & experiment first when the weather is nice, on a short run.

[ 12-20-2002, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: Mark Mc ]

[id. painter]

This is all fantastic info.. I dont know the range of my boat. I will probably not have many good chances to make test runs. Especially at sea level. I plan to do some springer fishing in April, below Bonneville. Maybe i could make a run down the river and test it then.Im getting ready to start my x-mas break and i dont have the net at home, yet. Im very, very serious about catching a tuna. I would love to tag along on some of these trips... ill be back on line the 2nd of Jan. Thanks for the info. id. painter

[fish assassin]

OK, on the subject of spare fuel tanks ...

I fished a dory for years. Did the 5 gallon gas can thing for
years and *hated* it!! [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] Didn't have the deck space to
add more of the 13 gallon fuel cells. Found a solution that worked
for me and maybe for a few of you ...

I went to Freds(?) of maybe Costco(?) in 1999 and bought two
15 gallon water barrels. I then went to the hardware store and bought
brass fittings to downsize the "breather" hole in the top of the
barrel to the size of a male end of a gas line plug. The big hole in
the barrel is for filling. :grin:

Went to Harvey Marine and got a couple of the gas tank repair fittings
with the long plastic stems on them (most any marine store should
have them). Fitted these to the barrel.

I strapped the barrels into the boat, one on each side back behind the console.
I also brought along a shorter gashose to go from the barrel to the engine.
With the three 13 gallon tanks (12.5 gallons usable) and two
15 gallon barrel-tanks I had plenty of fuel to run my 90hp 2stroke
Ocean Runner for trips of 40 or less miles for TUNA.

'Course, now I don't need to carry extra fuel as I have a 280 gallon
fuel capacity that will run me out for Tuna for 2 or 3 days before
a fill-up (no brag, just the facts, ma'am).

-assAssin-

[corrirod]

Flowmeters are definately worth the expense, even if only for the added piece of mind.

If your fuel gauge is like mine it bobs alot, especially out on big blue, and that's not the accuracy you need when you're out 50 miles and not within phone or radio range. My flowmeter is accurate to 5% and I keep it a few gallons off on the good side just as a precaution. My flowmeter cost $140 and now I don't have that nervous feeling when I'm clear out at the end of the earth that I might be staying out too long, no more guessing!

Pilar is right about the test run. You need to get a feel for a complete day of running. I made my test runs out in the ocean salmon/halibut fishing but the Columbia is a better spot if you're not accustomed to being out on the ocean, especially if you don't have a "designed" ocean-going boat.

Just remember to factor in the flow of the river.

Rod,
I liked seeing your flow meter, I've never trusted fuel gages on boats. Your GPS Plotter was nice too, beats a compass and eye for current and wind corection.

[HOGGEMIN]

Howdy guys you are killing me I've got to go tuna fishing will supply my own gear and more than pitch in for my share of expences. Help rig up your boat and even spend the next day cleaning all that wounerful blood off and other debries. Any takers, I don't think my 20 Motion Marine with it;s 240 sport jet is a long distance runner.