BFT Trolling Advice

[Keta]

We have BFT off of Oregon but  we are clueless as to how to catch them consistently.  Any help from the east coast would be appreciated.

#1 Where to target them, temperature and water color breaker, rips and in what temperature range.

#2 What to drag around, how far back and speed range.

[pjstevko]

My guess is a MadMac about 150-200 yrds back....

[Keta]

That is one of the things planned.

[thorhammer]

Lee, they are a winter fishery in NC / Va so water 50-55. We get them within a mile or two off the beach on occasion.

Used to be a big chunking thing but that has subsided a bit. SLow trolling live bait around birds, whales and bait pods is a go. Cob mullet, bluefish (not for you guys) and bunker (large menhaden) on circle hooks with fluoro.

Artificals: horse ballyhoo under Islander (blue and white gets the nod), JAG jigs in white, blue/white or pink with flash, 3 oz and 6 oz.

Ted texted me you had a question. My buddy coincidentlaly texted me an hour ago where he won a tourney for largest BFT recently; I believe on JAG.

[MexicanGulf]

Tuna spreader bars
ChatterLures The Wingman 36in Directional Spreader Bar - Zucchini colors

[MarkT]

I've caught BFT out of Dana Point dragging a cedar plug.

[natch!]

 I asked a couple friends here in the Bay Area who fish for them. I would think conditions would be fairly similar in Oregon. They look for water below 63 degrees and troll Madmacs waaay back, more than 200 yards. Sometimes more than 300. They tend to run pretty fast, 10 or 15 knots. Some a bit faster.

   Jack

[rogan]

I will give a second vote for spreader bars. Calimade lures spreader bars, pick your color. I would buy one in og pink. Run them waaay back, like 150+ yds, on big gear, 100lb or 130lb and be ready for a lot of winding. I have seen bft from 12lb to 150+ hit the same spreader bars.

[CI_Seawolf]

Halco Lazer Pro 195's in the Xd (crazy deep) version produce strikes when trolled down in San Diego.  I have a purple one that has 10 or so small bluefin on it.

[day0ne]

You East Cost guys do know that the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is a different fish from the Pacific Bluefin Tuna.

[MarkT]

Lazer Pro's have worked great on San Diego boats!

[ourford]

We had the best luck chunking butterfish at sunset and sunrise. Caught more yellow fin but got the occasional blue fin or bigeye. Trolling was with teasers and outriggers and more green machines and ballyhoo than you could keep track of.

[Gfish]

"Water color breaker" and "rips"?

[Patudo]

There are so many different ways in which bluefin tuna can be successfully targeted it can make your head spin.  But instead of thinking about the technique first, I would come at it from another angle and ask where and when you are seeing them (depth, time of day) and in what kind of situation (feeding, migrating, ...).  If they are feeding or thought to be feeding, is what they are feeding on visible, and how quickly is it moving?  Also what size fish are being seen? 

If you have a reasonable idea how the fish are behaving you will be better placed to decide how best to target them. 

[Keta]

We have most likely been driving over them on the way to where the albacore are.  If anyone here has them figured out they are not talking.