Need a Crash Course in Big Game (tuna/shark) Fishing

Dominick · September 06, 2011, 10:21:40 PM

Hey NBStriper: Report back on the final drag setting from the bumper of the car. Also once the fish tires you can advance the drag. Sometimes the fish will sound and you will need the extra drag to bring it up. When we were talking about holding 40 lbs of drag, that was with a lively fish. Dominick

Squirmypug · September 07, 2011, 01:09:55 AM

NBStriper 40lbs drag may not be too much for you, but is more than most people want to try to use.When you set up the reel for fishing you may want to put a wind-on leader so that you can handle the fish boatside better.And for the belt, a small one may not spread the load enough for you but you can try it.For the harness I have seen alot of guys make their own from 3-strand twisted nylon rope and some kind of strap to spread the load on the back.If you have any questions post them, if I'm able to help I will respond.Good luck on the fishing.

Alto Mare · September 07, 2011, 01:25:52 AM

Hello NB, there is some information here that might be helpful to you.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=1792.msg8660#msg8660

saltydog · September 12, 2012, 01:57:19 PM

I fish a 12/0 for sharks and all I can say is get a really good harness and belt,if you try to skimp on the cheaper ones it could break the strap and there goes said rod or you.Get one rated for unlimited class only.Set your drag to around 20 pounds with a scale and adjust from there,I have been drug from stem to stern with a bad drag setting so it's better to start easy then once you settle into the fight put the hammer down.Oh and since fishing from a boat it is always good to use a safety line attached to your outfit,it may not be pretty but if you loose your grip or your step someone can pull you or your rod in.The truck will let you know if you can handle the pressure though.I made my own harness out of two inch tow strap and sewing with 200 pound braid,I also have a really large belt with an extra 2 inches of padding added on cause when that drag is heavy it can dig into your thighs pretty good.

dogtagger · November 13, 2012, 08:29:43 PM

Hey NB Striper-- how did you make out last season? I saw this post a little late, but thought I'd offer my 2 cents anyway. I'm just down the coast from you in Maine. We catch mostly blue sharks here, some of which can get into the jumbo size category. Even so, I would say that you can take them without too much trouble on much lighter tackle, say a 6/0 or 9/0 set up with 50-80 lb line. Much safer that way, with less drag and you won't have to wave that big rod and reel around. I've caught a few porbeagles, mostly small pups, but a couple 250-300+ pounders-- I've also caught mako and threshers here too. No doubt the sharks in the Gulf of Maine get big, but extra heavy tackle isn't needed. My shark rigs consist of Penn 114s, 115s and Daiwa 900s and are paired to BWSU 1150130 56 and BWSU 113080 60 Ugly Sticks. The BWSU 1150130 56/Daiwa 900 combo is all I care to handle standing up with a large fish on the other end. All my reels get the "full Tani" treatment of course, with my 900s having the drag and handle upgrade.

Giant tuna are another story altogether.As you said, most guys are using bent butt with 130s in the swivel holders. Too much money at stake. I don't have any advise for you here, the only giants I've ever caught were on handlines years ago.

Anyway, post up a report, and let us know how things went, and stay safe.

willybendit · November 14, 2012, 07:08:07 PM

Hi Striper i dont think your going to get the 130lbs rod into a fighting kerve so that you can get the maximum out of it i use a Braid power play harness & butt pad and fish for common skate & porbeagle shark using IGFA 50lbs class rods & tiagra 50w reels and after 20/30 minutes your arms start to burn thats hard enough the 130 outfit is going to be very heavy to hold for any length of time your best bet would be to sell it and buy a 50 IGFA outfit and a good quality harness and butt pad the wind-on`s are easy enough to make yourself i use 200lbs dacron 480lbs nylon as the rubbing leader onto 480lbs s/steel 49 strand wire & 10/0 to 12/0 3406 mustad or sea demon hooks

tight lines Alain

Keta · November 14, 2012, 08:44:41 PM

Quote from: willybendit on November 14, 2012, 07:08:07 PM
Hi Striper i dont think your going to get the 130lbs rod into a fighting kerve so that you can get the maximum out of it

I'm not so sure about that, I can load a 130lb rod and I'm not that big. My 2 really heavy rods hurt after 30 to 45 minutes.

Here's my heaviest rod at the time, 6-1/3' and 150lb, not completely loaded up but the large YFT is running and I'm on break.
The reel was set up for 32lbs at strike and around 35-38 at full. I really can't handle drag settings over 35lbs for long, the higher drag is for the last 20' or so. At the time I was a heavy 155lbs at the most...and I don't miss the lard.

A photo of a failed plate, it hurt when I got pinched.

willybendit · November 15, 2012, 03:24:25 AM

Hi Keta so how long can you hold a 130lbs in full fighting curve with 38/40 lbs of drag the picture is not a 130lbs in full curve in my mind hears a mate with a 50 lbs IGFA rod in full fighting curve and the fish took over a hour to bring boatside

Keta · November 15, 2012, 05:18:40 AM

The rod in the photo is a 150 class and not nearly fully loaded, I'm on break and relaxing as the fish takes line with the lever on strike. The longest I've had to deal with 38lbs of drag has been the last 10 minutes or so of the fight and it is about all I can take. The longest fight I've suffered was around 50 min and that fish was only around 160lbs, my 258lb YFT was a "wimp" and only took around 40 min.

Nuvole · November 15, 2012, 03:14:25 PM

Wow you guys must be big in size

The heaviest rod I can handle is just 80lb and 30 min fight with that setup was tiring.

During one of my previous assignment in Aussie water, I was jigging with my 50lb setup for arm length tuna.
I landed 6 tuna head with the rest of the body taken away by shark. Being piss off, I steal some spring wire(single core steel wire) and aim for shark instead. I manage to pull one bugger almost 2 meters long all the way to the side of my ship, but landing it on my ship with more than 3 meters free board is impossible.

My setup at that time was:-

Rated 30-50lb rod
50lb braided main lines
80lb nylon topshot
2m single core wire
5/0 live bait hook with solid ring(far under size)

Shark is not much of fight, they shake their head, to the roll trick and will try to swim forward to chew your topshot nylon.
So if you are using a dual speed reel, I recommend that you stay on high speed.

Keta · November 15, 2012, 03:24:51 PM

Yup, I'm a giant at 5-1/2' and 145 pounds.

At one time I was 160 pounds of solid muscle but cancer and being crushed has caused me to get a bit flabby but I still have to move 140-160 pound hay bales. It has more to do with proper equipment and technique (the rail is your friend). All of my cow YFT were caught a few years after almost loosing my legs in an industrial accident and I have limited use of them. I'm not that bright though, I went elk hunting 2 weeks after getting out of the hospital for the removal of 1/3 of my colon and a large tumor...no brain no pain.

Depending on bait size I've used circle hooks as small as 3/0 for large YFT and I try to avod sharks.

Bunnlevel Sharker · December 05, 2012, 01:55:13 AM

Well i am pretty big at 6'3" and 185lbs. I can bend a big rod pretty easy, and sharks round here fight pretty good, so................

saltydog · December 05, 2012, 02:54:33 PM

I"m 6' and 270 and I will tell you a couple hours on a big Tiger or hammer will give you a run for your money,some come in easy and then you have the bulldoggers that no matter how hard you push them they push back.A 12' Tiger or hammer will test you to your limits especially if they have an attitude.After my cancer and other issues the last few years I have given up the big stuff and moved towards lighter stronger tackle.A 114H has the same line capacity of 80# braid as a 12/0 Penn has in mono,1100 yards and with the right modifacations,7+1 drag stack a ss gear sleeve,ss gears,and a one piece frame with aluminum spool you now have a much more manageable sharking outfit with almost the same drag capabilities.I don't push the drag much more than 20-25# anymore and that is plenty for any of the fish you will probably see,and you will enjoy the fight much more.And one thing to remember about LBSF is that the longer drops don't always mean fish,just watch for the bait.Most of the time it is right up to the beach,so why put your bait where the bait isn't.Most of my drop are right over the first bar and they produce 10x as many fish as the longer drops,and most of the bigger sharks I've caught too.Hope it helps.

Bunnlevel Sharker · December 09, 2012, 01:59:32 PM

Yeah up here in NC you definateley dont need long drops, i fish the pier most of the time though. I run a 9/0 and 6/0, soon to be hot rodded

UKChris · April 26, 2013, 09:42:52 AM

Please remember that there is a difference between a chair rod and a stand-up rod, and these two built for the same strength line will vary in length and stiffness as well as the shape of the fighting curve under load.

I've never caught a big bluefin -they are something else. But I have had some nice sharks - nothing huge - and some nice blue marlin both from the chair and stand-up. My largest fish took three hours and some serious drag towards the end to gain inches of line at a time in low gear - locking knees to avoid being frogged was important! Never measured the max setting - scales only went to 56lb! And I'm only 150lb - the credit goes to the skipper and crew for their skill and advice.

On another occasion, using a chair rod stand-up style (a mere 80lb rod) was a pain and I knew I could not apply sufficient pressure to control the fish. I could not get that rod to bend too much and yet the strain on my arms was excessive in the several minutes it took to restore sanity in the cockpit and get me a harness. I only had the 'opportunity' because the chair was occupied by the other angler on a double-header of big blue marlin. When his fish was released, I took over the chair and then I had the right tools for the job. That's when I found the 80lb chair rod rod too soft and floppy (!) to raise the fish which by now had decided to sulk way down deep but that is another story.

Yet, when fitted with a proper 80-100lb stand-up rod the complete opposite was true. I was (relatively) comfortable even when lifting a 600lb fish because the rod was shorter and bent into a suitable fighting curve and the butt was not way too long. However, that same rod was used by this other guy later and he could not take the strain (well he was 70!) and wanted to sit in the chair - but the butt was too short for him to reel when the rod was in the seat gimbal, and the rod too short to keep the line away from the transom corners.

What I'm saying is don't try to use a chair rod stand-up or vice versa - horses for courses - but get the gear that suits the style you are going to have to use, and have fun!