NEED FOR SPEED

SPEED-TROLLING WITH DIVING LIPLESS PLUGS HAS EMERGED AS THE NEXT BIG THING FOR FINICKY PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA.

- JIM HENDRICKS

PACIFIC BLUEFINS off the coast of Southern California often prove elusive, even when big schools are boiling and jumping around the boat, driving anglers to distraction as they frantically try everything they know to get a bite. The pursuit has often led to scaling back on tackle, line, lures and baits to finesse a bluefin into eating, many times to no avail.

But last summer, some angler-no one's absolutely sure who or where it happened (see sidebar)-discovered something completely different: speed-trolling a lipless diving plug.

It worked. Previously disinterested bluefins ranging from 40 to 250 pounds found the fast-moving, vibrating lures irresistible. And as word got out, it triggered a buying frenzy of big lipless trolling plugs, most notably the Nomad Design Madmacs. Anglers feverishly combed through tackle stores and online retail websites. This-combined with hoarding behavior-quickly depleted the available stock.

Price gouging grew rampant, and desperate anglers paid double, triple or even quadruple the suggested retail price to get their hands on the coveted fast trollers, and with good reason: They were racking up impressive catches. Today there are plenty of Madmacs and other effective lipless trolling plugs in stock, and prices have mercifully returned to normal-around $50 to $55 each.

SPEED DEMONS

If you plan to speed-troll for Pacific bluefins this summer, having the right lures is essential. The best plugs were originally designed for trolling for wahoo at speeds as fast as 15 to 20 knots.

The lipless designs allow greater speeds than lipped plugs, such as the 7-inch Rapala X-Rap Magnum that's rated for speeds to 13 knots. Lipless designs are also less likely to track off-center, pop to the surface, or become barbed projectiles while reeling them back to the boat.