Tackle Guide Index
Trolling / Live Baiting Tackle
The standard stand up and fight set up for bluefins in our waters is a decent 50lb-80lb short bent butt trolling rod paired up with a 2 speed 50 or 80 sized wide spool multiplier reel for maximum line capacity.
Large capacity reels cope with the searing initial runs that are synonymous with big tuna and the ability to switch down into a slower retrieve mode to maximise torque, sometimes proves essential for getting the upper hand on stubborn fish that refuse to come to the boat at close quarters.
Rods generally are preferred with either butt and tip roller guides or full roller models as these reduce friction and heat on heavy fishing lines during intense fights with large bluefins, preventing line breakage and unnecessary wear on the guides.
Roller guides also allow smoother, faster retrieves, and preserving line integrity by use of rotation wheels instead of the static ceramic surfaces which can often fail leading to expensive repairs.
Top selling roller model rods that have been tested in the UK fishery and have proven robust reliability season after season include Alutecnos Albacore 50-80, Penn Squall 50-100 and Tsunami Tuna 50-80.
Alutecnos Albacore 50-80
These superbly finished 5ft 9″ Carbon glass blanks with quality components created by Italian craftsmen have a fantastic feature of removable roller guides which aid easy cleaning and the ability to undergo repairs yourself.
Penn Squall 50-100
Super strong 6ft one piece glass blank and solid tip mean these heavy duty rods are almost indestructible giving you the confidence to take on even the largest of bluefin tuna that swim in our waters.
Tsunami Tuna 50-80
6ft Carbon graphite blank sporting Pacbay heavy duty rollers for maximum durability. The Superbly balanced Alps silver aluminium bent butt is often considered the optimum length for fighting big tunas ‘stand up and fight’. Combining these proven quality components make the Tsunami Tuna rods one the best value ‘money can buy’ products on the market.
As far as big game multipliers are concerned there are 3 models that are most widely accepted as being the standards, Shimano Tiagra, Penn International and Okuma Makaira.
Penn International 50/80 VISW
Revered for their legendary reliability, smooth drag system and robust but lightweight design, hugely popular in the UK fishery leading to total sell out of UK stock in the 2024 season.
Shimano Tiagra 50W LRSA / Tiagra 80WA
Robust and dependable, often described as the most durable big game fishing reels on the market and used by some of the best tuna fishermen worldwide.
Okuma Makaira 50WII/80WII
Powerhouse drag systems and rugged design mean these reels pack a serious punch and at a budget friendly price point there is no wonder they are fast becoming top sellers in the UK market and earning a good reputation as reliable ‘workhorses’.
Okuma also supply limited addition models in the shape of the Makaira 50WII SEa and the Makaira Yellowfin which are specifically designed for live baiting, boasting helical cut gears and a silky smooth free spool and drag system which allows you to set your baits off into the depths and retrieve feisty bluefin tuna with considerable ease.
Mainline
Without a doubt the most popular mainline choice in our fishery is 130lb Hollow core braid.
Combining high abrasion resistance, greatly reduced diameter when compared to similar strength mono and low stretch properties make our Xtreme 130lb Hollow Core a superior choice:
Xtreme 130lb Hollow CoreThe 1000m spools fill up the 80 wide sized reels and the 600m spools fill the 50 wides.
Loading big game multipliers with hollow core requires the braid to be loaded onto the spool under a constant and even so that the braid is tightly packed onto the spool and is not something that can be done on your own without the aid of a mechanical device or spooling machine.
A good line lay is also essential ensuring that the braid comes off the reel cleanly and doesn’t become looped under any of the previous wraps as this can cause chafe failures.
If you don’t apply enough pressure to the spool whilst loading your hollow core you risk the braid digging into the spool when put under load whilst fighting a fish, which invariably leads to the reel locking up, generally loss of your catch and potentially other tackle failures.
Loose spool loading can also cause the braid to slip on the drum which can prevent you being able to apply enough pressure onto the fish to start gaining line and get it to the boat.
It’s certainly not worth risking expensive tackle failures and potentially causing unnecessary harm to your prize catch.
If this is something you are unsure about doing yourself don’t stress, we provide a professional reel loading service for just £35:
Reel Loading ServiceWhilst 130lb Hollow core braided mainlines are generally accepted as the standard for the fishery, there are some skippers that prefer to up the anti by spooling up with higher breaking strain mainlines for increased abrasion resistance.
This trend is becoming more popular, especially in the Northern fishery around the Scottish coastline and in Yorkshire at Whitby where they experience different challenges to which they have to overcome whilst out fishing, including a larger average size of tuna caught, high numbers of crab pot ends which the ‘Tunny’ seem to like heading for once hooked and Seals swimming through the lines and attacking the lures.
To overcome these variables, we recommend up sizing to 200lb Hollow core braid which is best suited to being loaded up onto an 80 sized wide spool reel for maximum drag force and capacity to tame these giants. 200lb Hollow core is also available in our ‘Xtreme’ range:
Xtreme 200lb Hollow CoreTop Shots
Once your reels are spooled up with your braided mainline, we then add a top shot, generally 130lb of good quality high abrasive resistant mono line is considered a good balance for most of your trolling and live baiting setups.
When selecting a top shot material it is important to consider the line diameter. Unlike your mainline which is all about low diameters for maximum spool capacity, a good quality top shot will have a fairly large diameter to maximise abrasion resistance.
From our experience the single biggest cause of tackle failures, when fishing for tuna is the top shot becoming chaffed during the fight, especially when the tuna takes a heavy run back through a large group of feeding fish that are closely grouped (busting).
The tuna themselves has very hard skin and razor-sharp finlets that are located in a row between the main dorsal/anal fins and the tail. When darting around pursuing prey it’s easy to appreciate how lines can part away, given the immense pressure that heavily set drags and fast running fish can cause.
This area of tackle choice can be a bit of a minefield for beginners.
Many suppliers will recommend upgrading top shots to 150lb mono marketing them as a superior choice due to the higher tensile strength credentials in an attempt to overcome these issues, however then supply lines with low diameters that have inferior abrasion resistant properties when compared to high quality Top shots.
For this reason, we recommend top shot diameters of 1.2mm+ of high-quality mono line for bluefin tunas, regardless of tensile strength.
Another advantage of monofilament top shots is to add some stretch into you mainline, acting as a shock absorber and reducing some of the strain on your terminal connections. This helps keep your lines tight during violent head shakes and sudden changes of direction.
After extensive research and testing we found that Momoi’s 130lb Hi-Catch Classic was a top performer because of its exceptional balance of performance characteristics, including high abrasion resistance and despite its toughness and strength, the line exhibits very low memory properties which make it flexible and easy to handle. This flexibility also supports good line lay once loaded onto your reel which we found was another important consideration to make when using heavy, high abrasion resistant lines.
Bulk spools offer you best value per meter and are currently available in 1000m size:
Bulk Spool Momoi 130lb MonoWe also find that the larger diameter of the bulk spool used to store this line keeps it in top condition and helps prevents it coming off in pig tails.
Last season (2025) we also started to see a trend emerging with the guys who upgraded the mainline to 200lb hollow core, they couple that up with 250lb top shot to help them overcome some of the issues, mainly associated with the fishery up in Whitby.
As we already stocked this in the Momoi’s Hi-Catch Classic range that we use when building our spreader bars, it was tested out as an upgraded top shot with great success by some of the pioneers in the newly emerging Northern fishery and is currently available 100m coils if you wanted to go extra heavy:
100m Spool Momoi’s Hi-Catch mono 250lbAttaching your Top shots
Most Tuna guys prefer splicing the top shot into the hollow core. This provides a secure and streamline connection allowing the transition to glide through your roller guides with ease and prevent premature wear at the join. Although there are many variations on how to complete the splice connection, this is the method that we use in all our reels when installing our Momoi top shots into the mainline braid:
We sell the PR Knot bobbins used in this video:
Knot BobbinAnd also, the splicing needle kits that you’ll need insert the mono:
Portland Bluefin Splicing Needle KitWe always insert a minimum of 2.5m of mono into the hollow core when spooling up our top shots and always make sure to tighten up the tensioning wheel on your knot bobbin enough so that you can only just pull the braid off the bobbin under high pressure before you start winding your wraps down over the knot. This will keep your wraps nice and tight so the braid bites into the mono, ensuring a bullet proof connection.
In addition to the splice demonstrated in the video, we like to lock the entire knot off with a good coating of Zap Ca all over the finishing knot and up the full length of the whippings.
Zap CA is a fast curing, thin viscosity, deep penetrating waterproof glue that locks the braid fibres onto the monofilament and provides an additional protective layer around the splice to enhance strength and durability:
Zap Thin CAMake sure the glue is fully cured before winding your top shot onto the reel, it only takes a couple of minutes but always worth double checking.
In regards to length of top shot we recommend putting 60-80m onto your 80 wides and 30-50m onto the 50 wide sized reels. Just make sure you leave a bit of room between the top shot and the outer casing of the reel, generally around 10mm clearance should be sufficient if you are careful with your line lay.
Whilst fighting big tuna always ensure you guide the line back onto the reel evenly, otherwise you’ll bunch up the line. This can then lock up against the reel casing and you’ll have to let a load of line back out before you can continue the retrieve.
You’ll find if you’re using our Xtreme hollow core braid you can just put the whole spool onto your reel and that will leave room for enough top shot. 600m size for the 50 wides and 1000m size for the 80’s.
Wind On Leaders
An alternative to splicing in a top shot is to use a wind on leader.
Although not hugely popular in the tuna fishery on the south coast, I know there are some anglers in the Northern fishery who fish with greater confidence when using heavier lines.
This method can be useful if you find that you wanted to go much heavier with your leader to maximise abrasion resistance but find that the line you want to use won’t fit into your hollow core to do a splice.
We currently stock 25ft readymade wind on leaders in 500lb Momoi Hi-Catch Classic:
500lb Momoi’s Hi-Catch wind on leaderVideos
To fit a wind on leader you simply create a double line in the end of your hollow core by tying a Bimini Twist:
You then simply attach the wind on leader using a Cats Paw Connection:
You can also make your own wind ons at home giving you greater scope to play around with different length leaders and diameter lines using the Extex rigging needles sets that we have available:
ExTex Rigging Needle SetIn addition to using the appropriate tackle there are also some best practice techniques you can utilise to increase your catch rates, specifically when you’re trolling for bluefin tuna, that also help you not to fall out your fellow tuna fishermen working the same areas.
Keeping your distance from large groups of heavily feeding fish, allows you to pick fish off the edge of the shoals which can greatly reduce the risk of a hooked fish getting cut off by the main shoal.
Fishing too close to busting fish can also spook them causing them to abandon feeding on the bait they have pushed up and make them dive down deep.
On some occasions it can even make them very difficult to catch for the rest of the day as they get boat shy and so blasting through a bust generally won’t make you very popular with other tuna fishermen in the area as well as potentially scuppering your chances of catching.
Therefore, it is considered good etiquette to keep a good distance from the busting tuna and to be respectful of other fishermen working in the same area, spacing yourselves out appropriately and taking it in turns to make a pass at the fish or fish opposite sides of the bait ball.
Once hooked up some skippers also turn the boat away from the shoal whilst the fish is making its initial run to help guide the fish into clearer waters away from the main pack before starting the retrieve. This can also give others a chance to make a pass at a feeding shoal whilst you are dealing with your catch.
Spreader Bars
Spreader bars come fully rigged with a vast array of different baits available in just about every conceivable colour, however despite these multiple variables, can be split into 2 main categories, Spreader bars and Splash bars.
The main difference being a traditional Spreader bar is designed in such a way that the round bar itself generally rides just above the water line with just the lures on the hang lines skipping across the surface. This is generally achieved by using lightweight materials such as Titanium and also by positioning the lures further back away from the bar itself, allowing it to have some lift as it gets towed along by the boat.
Splash bars on the other hand are designed with a bird attached onto the centre of the bar. These birds keep it anchored in the water in front of the lures attached to the hang lines and quite often have the addition of a tracking blade to push the lures out wide into the calmer waters on the edge of the wake.
When considering what type of spreader bar to use in a particular fishing scenario, we must first think of what we are wanting it to achieve.
For instance, large format heavily built bars with big baits will undoubtedly cast a larger shadow into the water and create a big silhouette against the sky, therefore will be more visible and attract Tuna from further afield and from greater depths.
This makes the big squid bars perfectly suited for searching out large areas where you think there might be tuna but can’t see much surface activity to give you an indication. The large profile bars will also help you to raise tunas that you can see deeper in the water on your sounder.
14 pattern spreader bars or 9 pattern bars with additional splash birds and 15 or 16 inch baits are usually best suited in these kinds of situations:
FCKU Splash bar – Pink/ ClearOn the other hand, if you come across an area with multiple busts with lots of small to medium sized fish, you’d be wiser to select a spreader that’s a bit more subtle and ‘matches the hatch’ better as a closer representation of the bait the tunas have homed in on. Smaller 7 to 9 pattern bars made with 3mm Titanium and 9″ or 12″ squids are generally a good starting point for these kinds of situations:
Little Squid Adjustable Tracker BarGenerally, if your boat doesn’t have out riggers then you’ll be fishing a 3-rod set up with 2 splash bars with trackers on the port and Starboard flanks and a straight track bar down the centre.
For those with outriggers you’ll mainly be fishing a 3 or 4 rod set up and have the advantage of running traditional spreader bars in all positions should you want to keep your baits looking as natural as possible:
Fortuna Skirt BarsRegardless of bar preference we find that trolling the bars at between 5-6kts seems to produce the most bites.
Round Bar
Generally, the material used to make the Spreader bar will be either 3mm or 4mm diameter and made out 316 Stainless Steel or Grade 5 Titanium.
Stainless steel is the heavier choice that’s easier to bend out of shape, although is cheaper.
Titanium, all be it a little more expensive, has fantastic integrity and stands up to the rigours of tuna fishing much better in our opinion.
Generally, the 4mm diameter bar is used to build spreader with the big squids or bars with larger numbers of lures such as our 14 patterns.
3mm round bar is generally used to create lighter bars with the small and medium squids with up to 9 lures attached.
Trolling Squids
Big 15″ / 16″ sizes are generally used to enhance attraction and draw tuna in from far and wide as well as raise tunas up from depths. These big squids are by far the most popular sized baits in the northern fishery.
Medium 12″ squids are a good all round versatile sized bait suitable for a wide variety of applications.
9″ little squids have gained in popularity massively since we finished Chart and moved into the permitted recreational fishery and are now one of the most popular sized bait for Tunas on the south coast.
Colour wise they all work well on the day, however having a variety of colours is key.
Try different colours of bars until you find what’s working well on the day and remember what’s working today might not be quite so hot tomorrow as the tunas move into new areas and get dialled in on different bait.
View Trolling SquidsFloats
We like to run floats in all of our bars, it makes them easier to deploy and helps keep them up in the water and prevent the bar from sinking.
We sell Cigar Floats which are great for maximum buoyancy if that’s what you’re looking for, however we find our extra hard pear floats provide superior durability and provide more than enough buoyancy in most situations:
Extra Hard Pear FloatsWe recommend using a 6-8ft safety line of 500lb mono above the bar. It helps prevents the top shot getting damaged if the bar gets wrapped up and makes leadering the fish much easier as the thicker line is more comfortable to handle.
Sometimes a very large fish will be longer than the combined length of you centre line and the stinger and so having the extra few feet of heavy line can prevent the line getting cut off by the tuna’s tail if the fish suddenly decides to take off across the surface when it gets close to the boat.
Safety lines are usually either built into the bar centre line or are attached to bar with an M4 Bow shackle.
M4 Bow ShackleThe top shot is attached to the safety line via a 600lb Coast lock snap swivel:
600lb Coastlock SnapYou simply tie the Coast lock onto your top shot with a Benjamin knot:
You can then quickly and easily attach and change out your bars by clipping the safety line on and off the coast with the chafe loop connector.
Whilst this is by far the most popular way to attach your spreader bars set ups, there are still some who prefer maximum security and so will tie off the top shot onto an 1800lb swivel or similar and then use an m4 shackle to attach the swivel onto the safety line.
1800lb Aussie SwivelsStingers
We used to recommend the big squids for stingers, generally of a contrasting colour to the squids on your spreader bar and safe to say this is still a very popular lure choice however after testing different types of lures as stingers over the past few seasons there seems to be a trend emerging with lures that represent a fish rather than a squid.
With the tunas preference on certain types of bait its becoming clear that Garfish are around the most popular food source for bluefins in our inshore waters. They just love them and can regularly be seen chasing down should and pushing them up into the air, sometimes very close to the shore.
This is important when it comes to stinger selection and with this in mind its no wonder that our fish stinger rig has by far been our most popular since its launch in the 2024 season:
Bristow Fish Stinger RigThe little 9″ squids have also proven to tempt the school size tuna that we generally encounter offshore. These fish seem to be mainly eating small 2-4 inch sized bait and so were now starting to use smaller and smaller sized stingers to provide a better match.
In the early days where larger sized stinger baits were predominantly used these smaller fish were considered difficult to catch so its worth having a variety of sized lures with you so that you can change things up depending on what sized tuna your finding.
Above all else dead baits have probably accounted for more tunas than any other stinger over the past 5 seasons, generally a medium sized mackerel is attached to the trace line on a spring and pin rig which normally has a ‘witch’ or ‘shute’ weighted head placed in front of the bait with a brightly coloured skirt.
To rig up a bait with the spring you simply put a bait pin through the mackerel’s snout and then pass the hook down through the bait, far enough so that the chafe loop and crimp are positioned inside the mouth. Then just wind the bait spring over the pin which secures the mackerel in place and keeps the mouth closed which prevents water rushing into the gut cavity and ripping the bait apart.
Our 32g Bristow Spring n Pin rig had accounted for many bluefins of all sizes since its launch in the 2024 season:
Bristow Spring n Pin Rig 32gWe recommend loosening up the fish by pinching it alongside the backbone and always check the bait is upright and swimming correctly and not spinning before you send it out.
J Hooks
High carbon steel is the material of choice when we’re talking about Bluefin tuna fishing hooks because it offers maximum strength and when we are trolling for tuna then the J Hooks is most favoured.
In the premium ranges for making larger dead bait rigs and stingers the Bristow Big Game are considered the best and a budget version of these are the Jobu Big Game.
We’ve found that the ‘Blackout Tuned Tuna Hooks’ seem to have the edge when rigging smaller size dead baits and lures as stingers for tuna on the south coast:
Blackout Tuned Tuna HooksIf these hooks are beyond your budget constraints, then we can recommend some really good cost effective alternatives in the shape of the Japanese Tuna hooks:
Japanese Tuna HooksOr the Jobu big game:
Jobu Big Game 8/0 9/0 10/0Live Baiting
When live baiting for bluefins we recommend scaling things down and try to present the bait as naturally as possible.
Although tuna will happily take a mackerel swimming upside down being weighed down by an oversized circle hook at times, it is generally considered best practice to pick a hook size based on the size of your bait rather than the size of the tuna you are hoping to catch.
You can also increase your chance of getting a hook up by using Fluorocarbon lines which has got very similar refractive properties as water. This makes it almost invisible to the tuna, especially in the lower diameters.
We have a selection 5m live baiting rigs available which you can just clip onto your coast lock snap connection on the end of your top shot:
Stiff Livebait RigsWe also have 360 live bait rigs which take things to the next level of refinement including a swivel attached to the extra strong but small hooks, allowing the bait to change direction on the spot, maximising its natural appearance:
360 Livebait RigsWhen live baiting for tuna you simply just attach your bait onto the hook, either by hooking the fish through the back just in front of the dorsal fin for a plain hook rig or via a wire bridle that clips the bait onto the hook through the eye sockets.
If your marking fish at a certain depth on your sounder you can always attach a ball lead onto your top shot above the coast lock connection with an elastic band to help get your bait down to the required depth. The band will just snap during the fight meaning you’ll have direct contact with the fish throughout the fight without having to worry about the lead yanking the hook out.
Single Lures can also be utilised to great effect and also give you a direct connection with the fish rather than having all the extra lures on the spreader bar attached to the line which some anglers prefer. Hooking a Tuna on a single lure provides a different fight including explosive turns of speed and direction, much the same as you get with live baiting or top water spinning.
Outriggers are a must for this style of fishing to create a spread of lures.
They increase height to keep your heavy leader lines out of the water and make it easier to turn the boat as they space your lures apart, reducing crossed lines and tangles.
We’d generally troll singles a little faster that we would a spread of bars, increasing our speed up to 7-8kts is preferable which can also help you cover a larger area if your searching for new fishing grounds.
Skirted poly head lures, Tuna Slugs/Eels and skirted dead baits are all proven bluefin catchers so mix it up and have a selection of different baits in your singles spread.
Outriggers
Choosing the correct outriggers for your boat
When the time comes to purchase outriggers for the boat you may not be sure of what length and set up to go with. So you begin your searches online only to be confronted by the vast amount of differing opinions on rigger length versus boat length. Often people will choose a short rigger length to play it safe rather realising some key points that can boost catch rates.
Before we get into the main function of outriggers, we will first cover what rigger length we generally recommend for a given length of boat and configuration.
Rigger length
As a rule, the length of your outriggers should be the same, or, as near as possible to the length of your boat.
You need to keep in mind that as long as they don’t mess with your boats stability or become unwieldly then you can never go too long with outriggers. You can however go too short.
| Boat Length | Outrigger Length |
| 15ft – 18ft | 15ft – 18ft |
| 18ft – 20ft | 18ft – 20ft |
| 20ft – 24ft | 20ft – 22ft |
| 25ft – 35ft | 22ft |
| 35ft + | 22ft – 27ft |
Choosing a rigger length for a particular boat configuration
When you look at all the boats in Uk there are mainly only three styles, cuddy cabin, cabin with or without a fly deck and centre console with hardtop, although the latter is not as common in UK sport fishing scene as it is overseas.
Within these configurations there is only really three effective locations for mounting rigger bases:
- Gunnel mount
- Side mounted on cabin
- Mounted on a hard top
While we have a recommendation for rigger length to boat length, the placement of the riggers may also affect you decision on what length riggers to choose for your boat to enable you to achieve optimal performance.
For example, if we took Three 22ft boats of the same brand and size:
Set-up 1
Centre console with a hard top and bases mounted on roof (Up High)
I would recommend 18ft riggers.
For the same boat length where the riggers will be mounted high on the roof, you can go shorter because you already have the advantage of the extra height gained from this base positioning. The difference at the rigger tips between gunnel mount and roof mount can be as much as 8ft and so can make quite a difference as to how your riggers perform in any given situation.
This mounting position helps gain extra height to rigger setups, which can be especially important on small boats under 18ft as they may become unstable with rigger poles that are too long, making the setup unwieldly in rougher sea conditions.
Set-up 2
Cabin boat with bases mounted on the side (Mid height)
I would recommend 20ft outriggers.
Even though the bases are mounted higher than the gunnels, it can still be a matter of 3ft to 6ft difference between the side cab and the T Top/Hard top and so longer poles in this position are defiantly worth considering to give maximum height.
For most larger boats in the UK this mid height mounting position is the most popular location.
Set-up 3
Cuddy cab with gunnel mounted bases (Low)
In this situation I would recommend 22ft outriggers.
Riggers set on the gunnels will instantly place your riggers lower to the water. In this case going longer to compensate for the lower mounting position is a good idea, as long as you have adequate reinforcing below the gunnels.
If adding reinforcing to support the pressures of larger poles is an issue for you then shorter poles in the 16 – 18ft sizes would be your only option, which would still provide a fishing advantage by increasing your height and spread, although may put you at a slight disadvantage to others with longer rigger setups.
So as you can see, configuration can change things up when choosing what length poles to buy.
once you have decided on which mounting position best suits your vessel, there are some further considerations to make around what an outriggers main function is and how selecting length and location can play a vital role in your fishing outcomes.
Spread
Many people think that the main purpose of outriggers is spread. That is to get the lures/baits out wide and into clear water so they can easily be seen by more fish. If that was the only reason to use riggers, then almost every boat could get away with using 12ft riggers which would get most lures into clear water.
Off course spread is important, getting the lures as wide of the boat as possible helps prevent them crossing over and tangling when turning.
A wide spread of lures also enables you to cover a larger area with your lures, so inevitably will make your them visible to more fish.
While the spread achieved through the length of your riggers is vital, it’s not the main function of outriggers. The most important function, which in reality is never talked about or considered by so many, is in fact height.
Height reigns supreme
When it comes to outriggers height is a key advantage, and this can only be achieved through longer poles, higher mounting positions or by changing the set angle of the outrigger, especially if you have it too flat.
Height is far more critical than spread because it’s the single most important factor in how your lures and baits perform. By increasing height, you will reduce water drag on the main line by and keeping your snap connection and leader/ safety line out the water which otherwise, creates an unnatural line of bubbles. This bubble line in the water in front of the lures can seriously put fish off, especially if there in a finicky mood in clear and calm water conditions.
Higher set riggers will force the lure face to angle up making it pop, breath then give off little pockets of bubble trails as the lures dive, much the same as baitfish do when as pack of tuna push them up against the surface. This is considered essential for optimum performance and can help explain why some boats seem to out perform others.
Riggers that are set too low place more mainline and leader in the water which also makes the lure wallow, again turning off the fish with the unnatural presentation.
Height also increase’s the effectiveness of how crisp your line releases from the rubber bands/release clips, simply because there is less of it being dragged through the water. Its a much cleaner release when there is a direct contact line from the lures to the clip.
With high set riggers you can also try run your lures closer to the transom, enabling you to make substantially tighter turns if you are lucky enough to have a frenzied bust all to yourself or mark fish on the sounder that you want to try and raise.
So with all things being considered we can conclude that as long as you can suitably support the boat structure around the fixing point for the out rigger bases, generally longer 22ft+ poles would be a good starting point for boats in the 24– 35ft size range, perhaps with a lower mounting point for boats falling closer to the 24ft size and a higher mounting point for boats closer to the 35ft end of the scale to give maximum lift.
What angle is ideal for riggers?
Anywhere from 40 to 45 degrees is a good range to stay in, however this comes with a caveat. The shorter the outrigger the more towards 45 degrees you will need to aim. While this angle is optimum it’s not always achievable due to the design of the outrigger base. Some wishbone bases are made with a pre-set angle while the larger 8ft bases generally have full angle adjustment.
Outrigger Poles
Outriggers have been essential to the success of offshore fishermen since Capt. Tommy Gifford developed his first poles from bamboo and proceeded to catch an Atlantic blue marlin with the novel accoutrements. His original attempts to create a wider and more manageable trolling spread were well received throughout the burgeoning sport fishing industry and many anglers were keen on the concept of outriggers — not the material.
The famed Rybovich clan launched the notorious Miss Chevy II in 1947, which modelled the first-ever aluminium outriggers. Racing along at 20-knots, the world’s earliest dedicated sportfish boat featured many significant innovations, including aluminium fishing outriggers with wire braces.
Since the historic days in south Florida when the cedar-planked hull first splashed, aluminium outriggers have remained relatively unchanged.
Meeting the demands of the harsh marine environment where saltwater wreaks havoc on nearly everything it touches, aluminium outriggers have been the standard for years and facilitated fantastic catches across global fisheries. Yet as modern components are introduced to the sportfishing market, the consideration of carbon fibre vs aluminium outriggers arises.
Today, many boatbuilders, owners, captains and mates embrace innovation. As manufacturers make extraordinary contributions to sport fishing in the development of new designs and materials, aluminium outriggers with multiple release clips are no longer the superior means of widening a spread of teasers, baits, and lures for Tuna.
The issue is that when aluminium riggers reach a certain length, spreaders are necessary to increase the stiffness and rigidity of the poles. These perpendicular bars position guy wires along the pole to bear tension and prevent the outriggers from bending or breaking under the extreme loads associated with running heavy lure setups, as we do in the bluefin tuna fishing here in the UK.
Why Carbon Fibre Outriggers?
In recent years, carbon fibre outriggers have taken over as the most desirable material for tuna fishing, due to the increased strength and rigidity they provide when compared to aluminium.
Another advantage of carbon fibre outriggers spanning upward of 20ft is they don’t require spreaders or guy wires which makes fishing easier as there is less change for the lines to get caught up, reducing maintenance. Not only do carbon fibre outriggers look better, they also allow for the internal rigging of halyard lines if so desired.
With so many different fishing outrigger brands available, it has become apparent that not all carbon fibre fishing outriggers are the same. Quality control in production varies greatly in any industry, and the strength and rigidity of any carbon fibre component is in direct correlation to the knowledge and expertise in material and manufacturing. Inherently, the thickness of the layers, the grade and density of fibres, and the positioning of fabrics all play a role in the durability, weight, and stiffness of a finished carbon fibre outrigger pole, which is why careful consideration has been given when selecting the materials used for the poles in our range.
Top Water Spinning
Another method that is really becoming popular since its introduction into the fishery in 2024 is spinning, for which you’ll need a Heavy Duty fixed spool reel.
Heavy duty reels we can recommend for top water fishing are Penn Authority 10500 as a budget option or the Okuma Makaira 30000 version which is the ultimate powerhouse set up for topwater bluefins. Some of the lighter more refined fixed spool reels just wont last whilst fishing for big blue’s so apologies to the Shimano fans, you have been warned!
Line selection is also an important consideration, 130lb hollow core can be used successfully be used whilst spinning for bluefins, however it doesn’t cast particularly well and is nowhere near as good as a specialist low diameter/ High abrasion resistant lines such as Momoi Vertex 8:
Momoi Hi-Catch Vertex 8This solid braid is much lower diameter than your standard hollow core but retains excellent abrasion resistant properties due to the triple coating used to protect the fibres and reduce friction.
The low diameter enables you to get much more onto the reel spool which is why we recommend it for use on the smaller reel sizes used for topwater spinning and jigging for bluefins.
A slightly longer rod is generally required for spinning to get a good cast into a bait ball without having to get too close and spooking the fish. For this we can highly recommend the Major Craft Giant Killing -76PGXX Popping rods as a superb quality one piece blank that’s capable of handling even the largest tuna we are likely to encounter. At 7ft 6″ They provide just enough length for casting without being so long they make it awkward to lift and gain line during the fight. Major Craft provide this extra hard blank that has the power to stop any tuna in its tracks on the first run at a price that just cant be matched:
Major Craft Giant Killing – GXC-76PGXX Popping RodMuch the same as your trolling set ups we use a top shot with our braided lines although we recommend a much shorter length of 6-8ft of Fluorocarbon whilst spinning.
The 120lb Black Magic Tough Fluorocarbon is an excellent low diameter option which has excellent abrasion resistance without being too thick which can make a big impact on how far you can cast your lures, although does require stretching out when it comes off the spool:
Black Magic Tough FlurocarbonAlternatively, if you wanted a thicker line to make life easier when it comes to leadering we can recommend the 180lb Momoi Hi-Catch Fluorocarbon:
Momoi’s Hi-Catch Fluro Carbon 100lb, 180lb, 220lb, 400lbWe have found that using a shorter leader and keeping the leader knot outside the rod tip is much better for casting with the heavier leader’s sizes.
Our go to knot for attaching top shots on our spinning set up is the PR Knot:
But again, we recommend coating the finishing knot and all the whippings with a generous coat of Zap Thin Ca to bind the braid fibres to the Fluorocarbon and provide an additional layer of protection:
Zap Thin CAOn the business end if you tie on a small split ring or one of our Stainless steel swivels to the end of your top shot with a shortened down version of the Benjamin knot that we used to attach the coast lock swivel on our trolling set ups. This will make changing out the lure easier later on.
Just turn the swivel 4-5 turns before wrapping back over the top instead of the full 8-10 wraps we used on the heavier trolling rods.
This give’s you a good strong connection without interfering with the action of your lure. You can then use another split ring attached to the eye on the lure to make connections and change out the lure quickly and easily with a set of split ring pliers.
Heavier lures in the 3-5oz sizes tend to cast better on the heavy spinning setups we use, especially if your using hollow core braid as your mainline. Lighter poppers can still be fished at good range, particularly if you choose the Momoi Vertex 8 braid as this casts much better than the hollow core.
Tuna Eels, stick baits and poppers work fantastically well when topwater spinning for tuna on the south coast but again a variety of different baits are essential to find out what the fish are dialled into on the day. When using poppers and stick baits we always remove the treble hooks often provided with the lure and replace with a decent quality single hooks like the BKK
BKK Lone DiabloUpgrading the split rings that attach the hooks is also a good idea when targeting bluefins as some of the lure manufactures provide very lightweight rings that can easily open up.
JANKER – Tuf Steel Split RingsGenerally, we recommend attaching the single hook at the rear end of the lure, so the lure body has less influence on the hook hold.
A top tip is to add a bucktail hook in this position to give the lure increased action, similar to that of a panicking baitfish beating its tail like the Lone Diablo Flash Tail Hooks we have available:
Lone Diablo – Flash TailThis being said some lures are balanced better with the hook in the mid position so that’s always a consideration to take into account when you’re rigging up your lures.
Another method that is gaining in popularity is to attach an assist hook to the lure instead of adding the hook directly to the eyelet on the lure via a split ring. The theory goes that by introducing an assist cord, you’ll be less likely to accidently T-bar off the fish with the lure during the fight caused by the hook turning onto the split ring and jamming up solid against the lure body which can sometimes happen when the fish changes direction.
We have an excellent range of single assist hooks with enhanced flash that are suitable to rig your poppers and jigs for bluefins in the 6/0 size:
Power Glow Single Assist HooksJigging
Whilst still early days in the UK fishery for jigging, it’s something that’s hugely popular in the USA.
Generally scaling down equipment to lighter rods and reels will be easier to handle and give you a bit of feel for the jig whilst working it down through the water. for this method of targeting bluefins, specialist lines are a must.
Were currently offering up the 100lb Sakura Mitsio jigging rod:
Sakura Mitsio 100lb Jiggingwhich can be paired up with the Okuma cavalla 12-II:
Okuma Cavalla 12-IIAn alternative would be to use your spinning set up with a heavy duty fixed spool reel.
The Momoi Vertex 8 has an impressive 95lb rating for the 0.4mm diameter and so would be our top choice of line which we fish with 4m of Momoi’s 175lb Fluorocarbon leader fixed with a PR Knot.
Your jigs can be simple fastened with a split ring, much the same as you would attach a popper onto your spinning setups.
Generally, the larger jigs are better suited so from 200g+ as the action of lighter jigs would be affected by the larger upsized hooks we use for tuna:
PBA Single Assist HooksWe also supply a slightly lighter gauge 6/0 with a glow skirt that the tunas go barmy for:
Power Glow Single Assist HooksAfter that the jig choice is totally up to you with various styles of retrieve for fast and slow jigs as well as the options to use some of the newer jelly bodied specialist bluefin lures that are starting to be produced by manufactures for this exciting new fishery.
Harness
We tested out several different harness combinations and have settled on an AFTCO combo.
After research we couldn’t find anybody who had managed to break the Aftco model and after them ourselves we found them comfortable to use and that the butt pad was less likely to slip during the fight like some of the larger models that had been recommended to us:
AFTCO Harness ComboWe pair the harness up with a Aftco spin strap for battling big tunas on the topwater spinning set ups:
Aftco Spin StrapLeadering and Fish Safety
Leadering should be done once the swivel is in the top eye of the rods or when no more line can be gained by cranking the reel.
A decent set of leadering gloves protect your hands whilst handling the fish and we recommend the AFTCO wiremax gloves which have thick padding on the back of the hands which give you extra protection should you wish to take a couple of wraps on the leader to fully restrain the fish:
AFTCO Wiremax GlovesAlways remind your angler to back off the clutch once you have the leader in your hand so that line can be pulled off the reel fairly easily should the fish suddenly take a dive.
If your catch is on the trolled gear, then it’s worth having someone hold the spreader bar once it’s out the water and be at the ready to throw it back overboard should the fish take off and you not be able hold it on the leader.
The last thing you want is a bar on the deck any people forgetting themselves and standing on it to get closer to take pictures and videos and then suddenly the whole set up being dragged back overboard.
Also, the angler should remain vigilant and remain with the rod strapped into the harness and keep the rod tip pointed towards the fish until they have been given the all clear that the hooks is out and the lines are clear.
Fight times should generally be kept to under an hour wherever possible, this keeps the post release mortality rates at the lower level experienced during the 3-year Chart Tagging Programme from which we get our known data.
We recommend using a boga grip to retain fish rather than a gaff as we find they leave less room for error and seem distress to a minimum whilst we’re unhooking and reviving the fish.
Attaching an additional 6-8ft of rope to you boga will allow you to tie the fish off once unhooked and give it space to right itself whilst being towed along at very low speed, you want to be moving along just fast enough to let oxygenated water pass over through the Gills and recover the fish enough to allow it to swim away strong, just make sure the fish stays well away from your running gear for obvious reasons.
You should be towing the tuna along for 5-10 minutes, making observations as to how the Tuna is swimming and when it’s beating its tail strongly and is fully upright in the water then that’s a good indication that it has recovered enough to be released.
Occasionally the fish may need longer than 10 minutes on a rope to recover, the most important thing is that the fish swims away strongly and we have certainly revived fish for over 15 minutes in the past after a long hard-fought battle, so try not to rush that part.
Training
If you are planning to participate in the UK Bluefin tuna fishery but feel like you could benefit with some further assistance before you jump in at the deep end on your own then the courses provided via the Angling Trust will fill in the gaps and the details of how to book should be provided when you apply for you Tuna fishing permit.
In addition to this if you would like to gain some real life insights into catching this magnificent species then feel free to book yourself on a Bluefin Tuna Fishing Adventure with us on our Sports fisher ‘Falco Marie’ out of Portland on our automated booking system over on the chartering page here we’ll be happy to share some of our top tips, explore the different methods of targeting bluefin tuna and help you practice your fish handling techniques.
