Downriggers for Tuna?

PeterMac · 11-04-2005, 07:54 AM

A couple weeks ago fishing in Cabo I heard about folks going after YFT deep with downriggers when there not hitting on the surface. Has anyone ever heard of that for Albi's? Just curious...

PeterMac

retaliate · 11-04-2005, 01:31 PM

I've never heard of anyone using downriggers for Tuna in Oregon, I don't know why it wouldn't work tho, espically late season when trolling slow with fish traps, or megabaits, early season would require heavy weights trolling at 6 to 8 kts, maybe #20 or more, I was going to give it a try this year, just never had the chance, next year I will try it.

djchaser · 11-04-2005, 02:00 PM

Instead of a 20# ball how about one of the bigger Old Salty diver's? You could tie it off like a hand line.

Reel Creel · 11-04-2005, 04:40 PM

I think this would work just fine. But 20lbs wont stay down at 6 to 8knts. Or not straight down. I use 20lbs when trolling for sams and at 3mph there starting to swing back some. This is around 100 to 175ft down with two flashers and what ever is caching fish that day.

What do think would troll for tuna down at 50 or 100ft...?

my 2cents

Mr. Fisherman · 11-04-2005, 04:50 PM

There is too much stress for most downriggers to handle at troll speed. I have tried and I know Popeye has tried.
That is why we use planers and handlines. Even Old Salty planers need to be on handlines as there is just too much force to run more than 1 to 2 knots.
Planer rods will work but they must be 80to 130 class and they are very expensive.

Onokai · 11-04-2005, 07:15 PM

Use a high speed planer they are much easier to use. Mark

backlash442 · 11-04-2005, 07:28 PM

I've tried them a couple of times. Only had a 10lb. ball. Lots of stress on the d.r. Cable was pretty far back too and you could hear the creaking in the whole system. That wasn't even at 7knts. Didn't catch anything either. Matter of fact last time I used them, right after switching to regular trolling we got bit before we could even get all lines out. Haven't used them since.

Flush Release · 11-04-2005, 07:49 PM

Slow and deep is the key if the fish are holding down. Downriggers should work in this case. If you do try it fish your bait WAYYYYY back from the downrigger weight.

We tried it a bit last season but were on the fast troll and did not work. We used 10lb round and will try 20 lb pancake next year to see if it follows better at higher speeds.

Experiment with it and who knows what you may dredge up from 200+ feet

KeyWest · 11-04-2005, 08:05 PM

Live bait instead....

Flush Release · 11-04-2005, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Live bait instead....

After the reports from Tom I want to try this also

Mr. Fisherman · 11-05-2005, 12:14 AM

I tried pancakes, Z-Wing divers and Old Scotty planars from my downrigger. While they all offer less resistance than a 10 to 20# ball they are still too much to handle with a downrigger at typical troll speed. Use a hand line or do it right with a planer rod setup.
Of course you are welcome to prove me wrong... I have put enough stress on my equipment and I can't afford to buy replacements so have at it.
The commercial boys use 50# balls. No balls no glory I suppose but few of us have the gear to run those strings.

bait boy · 11-05-2005, 01:03 AM

How does that go Ray? 80w minimum and 51 Lbs of drag on the planer rod any less and it just clicks out a little at a time. The BOX has a very interesting video that some would get a charge out of on sportfisherman dot com. lots of nice wahoo footage and a few slob bluefins...Meat N the BOX

eightball · 11-06-2005, 06:35 AM

You don't have to go fast to catch tuna. At times I have slowed my boat down to make it easier to pull a big tuna in. Many times when I'm down to about 2 knots I get tuna hitting my lines. Once this last year I was dead in the water with fuel filter problems and my deck hand pulled up a tuna that had hit when my lines were almost straight down. This fish hit a 22 fathom line at a dead stop. I don't know any commercials that use weight on tuna lines. I do really like the yozuri divers however. I think your imagination is your only limitation here. If you can dream it up it will probably work at least to some extent. I don't troll slow very often. At a slow troll a tuna will make an unbelievable mess out of my lines. As in 3 or 4 lines all rolled together. Only have to untangle one or two of these messes to meet my educational needs. Like I said before, the divers are great, but probably not much fun on a rod. I usually fish them about 6 fathoms behind the boat. I tried a longer one last year and something took it in the first hour. 200 lb tuna cord, jig and diver, along with the swivels probably about fifty bucks worth of gear. Hopeing for a better year in 06. Really enjoy talking to the dogs way offshore, great bunch of people.~~~Dan

ron m · 11-07-2005, 12:53 PM

Remember this last summer the tuna were hitting salmon gear off of Depoe. They were probbly using downriggers and divers and most likely weren't trolling real fast since they were salmon fishing when the tuna took over.

ron m

FASTWATER · 11-07-2005, 06:53 PM

We slow troll skipjacks in kona with riggers, I was actually the 1st guy to bring one over for a couple buddys to try out after a few days of experimenting we gotr dialed in and yes the yellowfin love it!!! A 20# ball is what we use and usually the 2 or3 # skipjacks for bait anything bigger and you are hooking marlin and we usually are trying to catch the yellowfin not marlin so stick to the smallest baits possible plus the smaller baits seem to last longer I don't know why. But their are alot of the locals not really the charter boys using them now as mentioned I would think that slow trolling the swimbaits on riggers would be a bomb have never tryed that but usually fish live bait at that point of year>PEACE

Old Salty · 11-10-2005, 08:51 AM

Hi ALL,

You can run Old Salty Planers for Tuna on a Downrigger.
The #8 - #24 Old Salty Planers put alot of pressure on our Downrigger,but in fact they hold up with no problem.
We usually run about 4 knots with the #24, and 6-8 knots with the #8 Planer. A big plus to running an Old Salty Planer is it wont wander up in the water like a cannonball
will, at high speed. The Planers blade forces the Old Salty Planer to track at a controlled depth. And at fish strike the Old Salty Planer will trip and start to surface, permitting free play of your fish without heavy drag.
They can be trolled direct on the downrigger, or with a
blacks release clip.
IN FACT
Commercial Fishermen as well as sportfishermen use Old Salty Planers on the Downrigger for Lg. King Mackeral,
& Grouper from North Carolina to Florida and up around to the Louisiana Pan Handle. This has become an ace up the sleeve when pickings are slim.

When running for lg. Blue Fin on the east coast, we run a
#16, or preferrably a #24 Hand-Line Kit at 6-8 Knots.
We will have them on our web site Jan. 1, 2006
It contains.
1-#24 Old Salty Planer
1-8in. Hand-Line Leader wheel
150ft.-300lb. mono, with snap clips and 8 ft. of 1/2 rope attatched for looping off a cleat or pad eye.
It will also have 3 Double snap clips with #64 Rubber Bands
for releasing purposes.

The NEW Planer Rod System, will also be available on our site Jan. 1 2005.

This set up is a must on the serious fishermans boat!!
It is a 4ft. Bent Butt Rod, with carbide eyes, which accomodates an 80 Tiagra reel. This set up on the east coast has become wide spread RUNNING THE #16 Old Salty Planer.
You paint your #16 Planer flat black, and attatch a bridle system to your planer with snap clips.
Your Planer Pole We reccomend the "DEATH FROM ABOVE"
Planer Rod.It is far more superior than others and has been designed by a friend and fisherman of mine in N.C.
WAHOONBOX on sportfishermen.com on the east coast.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOME INFO ON THIS PM ME, AND I COULD SEND YOU TO A SITE WITH VIDEOS. I ALSO COULD SEND YOU LITERATURE IN THE MAIL WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
MY FINGERS ARE READY TO FALL OFF NOW.

Good Fishin'TO ALL,
Team Old Salty
West Coast Div.
http://www.oldsaltytackle.com
Quality Stainless Steel Fishing Gear!

Old Salty · 11-11-2005, 10:30 AM

Orca · 11-11-2005, 10:59 AM

Old Salty One -

If we wanted to use a diver on a hand line, how would you suggest rigging a snubber that would work? Or, do we need to have 2 lines, one for the diver (with a line release clip on the diver), and then the regular hand line clipped in?

Smily · 11-11-2005, 11:33 AM

Good Question Orca. I have a salty planer that I have used and it bottoms out the rubber snubber. I was thinking we were going too fast that day But the next time out it was the same. Maybe attaching 2 snubbers perhaps?

CATCH AND EAT · 11-11-2005, 11:57 AM

Smily has it. Try two snubbers and the planner works fine. Did this one time, did not get a fish but it will work.

Mr. Fisherman · 11-11-2005, 11:54 PM

If someone will remind me I will bring my Old Salty planar on my hand line setup. Pretty cool stuff. I still want a planar rod but I can't even afford the reel little on the rod. The hand line is gonna have to work for now. It works much better than a Yozuri planar board and I came up with a system to leave the diver down and reset a fresh bait or jig.

Mark Mc · 11-12-2005, 09:03 AM

So are there any first-hand accounts of catching tuna here in Oregon with this (Old Salty) planer method? I'd like to hear them before I buy more

gear. Not stories about the Yo Zuris; we know those work.

Orca · 11-12-2005, 09:08 AM

Smily got his planer tripped and gear stripped when we were out. I think he would have had a fish if we had the snubber arrangement figured out. This would have doubled our take for the day.

Mr. Fisherman · 11-12-2005, 01:47 PM

Mark, I got spooled on the overnight trip using the old salty planer on a hand line...
They are far easier to use and put far less stress on the cleat than the Yo Zuris...