TACK ON TUNA

How to target dinner, even when you aren't

- CAPT. RICKY WHEELER

Nearly everyone loves to eat tuna. Whether we are targeting them or another species, when the opportunity presents itself, it's hard to pass up putting a few tasty ones in the box. Oftentimes we are fishing for something else, but occasionally the tuna show up and give us an excuse to get a hook into them. Watching tuna-especially the big ones-sky out of the water during a feeding frenzy is something any fisherman can find impressive and appreciate. And for most of us, the desire to change gears on the fly to grab a few is almost too strong to ignore.

Being prepared for these kinds of situations can mean the difference between eating sushi or chicken for dinner. And whether they are 10-pound blackfins, 60-pound yellowfins, 150-pound Allisons or giant bluefins, it's always fun to get hooked up and battle a tuna regardless of your day's target species.

MAKING THE QUICK SWITCH

Many times when we are trolling for billfish, we'll see the tuna pop up as they push their prey to the surface. I have seen this happen in every single location I have ever targeted billfish. To be prepared for an opportunity like this one, I always have a few 50-pound-class tuna setups ready to fire out in the spread. If I'm fishing an area that holds very large specimens, I'll even have a couple of 80-pound outfits ready to go. Proper planning and all.

My typical rig consists of a 2- to 9-ounce Sea Witch-style lure such as a Tuna Flare, Joe Shute or Ilander rigged with a 9/0 hook. That hook is rigged with a 10-inch RonZ tail. Some alternatives are the 12-inch Slug-Gos and the Z-Man HeroZ plastic baits-no dead bait required. These rigs are always ready to go and can also be trolled from 9 to 10-plus knots without any worry of a bait getting washed out. Sometimes you'll find that you will have to troll this fast to get back out ahead of the school and get into position for a bite, especially when the tuna are actively feeding.