Tackle Tip Thursday Vol.178 (Rigs for Big Bluefin)

Happy Tackle Tip Thursday!
This week Steve Carson of Penn Reels outlines his recommended arsenal for big bluefin fishing. Best to pay attention!
Steve shares what you need and how to utilize what you have to prepare to land a big one.
Let's go fishing!

[@nads9223]

This info never gets old.

[@johnhollis7290]

Easy to listen to and ALWAYS informative !!! Thanks, Tight Lines.....

[@mohanliyanage6297]

Final update: this little reel is the little engine that could kzbin.infoUgkxSlytCJqozTF7EbdP4LWP-HUXf9WRDJ0e . It performed flawlessly and was easy to adjust drag in the moment while I was battling a 35lb bat ray behemoth. Mind you, this reel is spooled with only 25 lb braid and 25 mono topshot. It's paired with the kastking telescopic heavy power rod and the two work well together. This has now earned my respect and confidence when traveling and fishing. If you have ever hooked into large rays and sharks, you know they pull extremely hard and can run forever! This thing clamped down on the fish and was easy to adjust during the fight. It has a nice decently fast retrieve as well. Twice the fish went on mad runs and I was able to gain back line quickly to avoid spooling.

[@tunanorth]

Sometimes the best reel is just what is lightest, so that you don't get tired on a long, slow day. Sometimes the best reel is the one that can land the largest fish of your life, when you finally hook into it. You should always fish with whatever makes you happiest!

[@jackiefitzpatrick2906]

I'm female....and will be 70 years old in July.....former firefighter and still in shape , but started going to gym ,daily , for 3 months to get in shape for my trips this summer in June and August. Can't wait ! Been on 15 day trips on the Qualifier 105 , back in the old days , and still plan to fish for tuna for years to come. Great video and detail on your line your using. Thanks. Yea , I'm partial to those 5 foot 7 inch or so rods you mentioned.

[@tunanorth]

I loved the Qualifier 105, and fished it numerous times, often using those old-school 5 1/2 foot rods that were perfect back in the single-speed reel era. With modern 2-speed reels and high-tech superbraid lines, the longer 7 foot "Rail Rods" offer a ton of advantages. The crew of the Searcher will love to have you aboard!

[@stevemitchell4136]

Excellent, always learning from you

[@stevemitchell4136]

Excellent!

[@socalsteve22]

Awesome Info Steve! Always glad to hear the knowledge from you!

[@mexicanamerican21]

You might want to switch out that first set up as a dropper set up, and set up a fathom 60 with a 2x4

[@christianaustingarcia4555]

Is the Penn VISX 16 able to be casted with about 6 ounces of lead and a small whiting head for bait? I have a Penn senator 4/0 and want to get something comparable in size because I can cast the 4/0 without issue.

[@ggexpeditions867]

To small of a setup,in my area that set up wouldn’t work since we get 500lbs +bluefin but I think that’s a good set up for anything 250lbs or less ,cool video

[@tunanorth]

In San Diego waters, the species caught are Pacific Bluefin. On the US East Coast, the Atlantic Bluefin are a different species, as are the Southern Bluefin caught "down under" in the southern hemisphere.

[@ggexpeditions867]

@@tunanorth ye over here they get bigger than over there we get 200kg+(500lbs) so ye over here that setup would get fully spooled

[@alligator801]

@@ggexpeditions867 OOOOOH

[@sab35263]

Hey Steve, what kind of assist hooks do you use?

[@tunanorth]

On those really big jigs like in the video, Owner Monsters, or Mustad Jigging Assist. On medium/small size jigs I may use Owner Dancing Stingers, or in many cases [especially on sniper-type jigs] I use the heavy-duty Owner Stinger ST-66 treble hooks. Unfortunately, the hook manufacturers do not all share the same size system, so you really need to "eyeball" the hooks to see if they are the size you want.

[@grinchdavis]

What rods are those???

[@tunanorth]

Penn Carnage III "West Coast" series.

[@Meatball-candy]

What length and action rod would you recommend for trolling bft? #100 braid.

[@tunanorth]

Depends on if you are trolling off the Searcher [or other SDLR vessel], or your own boat. From the Searcher a standard 7 foot Rail Rod rated 80-130 or 80-150 is perfect. From your own boat it varies, but assuming you will be "long trolling" madmacs or similar lures, a 6.5 foot "bent butt" rod rated for 100-200 pound lines is a good idea.

[@vaskodimoski5690]

How much 80lb Jerry Brown solid braid will I get on a 30 visx?

[@tunanorth]

@@vaskodimoski5690 In the neighborhood of 1,000 yards.

[@vaskodimoski5690]

Thanks​@@tunanorth

[@MuazzPatelia]

Hi do you know anything about the banax tracker 40L reel

[@tunanorth]

Sorry, I do not.

[@MuazzPatelia]

My reel has 40 pounds of drag what size fish would u recommend it for

[@tunanorth]

@@MuazzPatelia Without knowing anything about the reel, it would be impossible to say what the reel would be good for.

[@somnathroy8142]

Please let me know the exact model of the three rods which you have showed in this video.Then I may go for it. Thanks n regards.

[@tunanorth]

All three rods are from the Penn Carnage III "West Coast" series. Model numbers are: CARWCIII40100C78; CARWCIII80130C70; CARWCIII80150C70.

[@somnathroy8142]

@@tunanorth Thanks a lot to you for the proper information

[@ren5043]

Just got my Penn international 20 visX THIS WEEKEND AND I’m happy of the purchase. Coming from Shimano talicas these internationals are super beefy n good lookin and the price point just right. Making a switch.

[@tunanorth]

Awesome!

[@MrGT500]

what about spinning reels for the same thing?

[@tunanorth]

Spinning reels are excellent for stickbait and popper presentations, and can also be used as the "finesse" live bait rig for "school size" tuna. Once the tuna start to be over 50 pounds, in a multi-passenger party boat situation, spinning tackle presents some issues. On private boats with only one or two other anglers to contend with, tuna up to 100 pounds can be caught with high-end spinning tackle. Tuna over 100 pounds are another thing altogether, and usually require a skilled captain running a fast and maneuverable small boat, and very high-end [expensive] spinning tackle. When out on the Searcher, or any other San Diego long-range boat, 2-speed conventional reels [as shown in video] are definitely the way to go.

[@MrGT500]

@@tunanorth Blackhole rod, penn slammer. done. 200lb nothing. my spinfisher 6 9500 smokes a 60lb bluefin

[@a.p.mexico1071]

@@MrGT500 The Spinfisher VI 9500 will smoke your arms too in a fishing day with the 37.6 oz of weight! Shimano Saragosa 25000 SW have less weight that your Spinfisher. Btwy, the Shimano Saragosa 10000 SW weight is only 24.3 oz.

[@MrGT500]

@@a.p.mexico1071 I jig the cape cod canal all summer fou hours on end. im a small guy and i can jig and cast that rig all day. black hole 7ft 6 graphite tuna popper for the rod

[@a.p.mexico1071]

@@MrGT500 I respect your comment, but that, don't change the weight of the spinfisher. One of the main reason that 60%-70% of the people that bought spinfisher and after use it put the reel for sale is for the heavy weight. One of my spinning reels is a Shimano Thunnus Ci4 12000 and have 10 oz less than your Spinfisher and of course is a lift truck! Thanks for your response!

[@silverbacknubian6366]

What type of rods are you showing?

[@tunanorth]

Those are part of the PENN Carnage III "West Coast" series, which are designed specifically for California/Baja applications. In this video I am showing three of the heaviest models, but there are a total of 12 models, covering applications from 20 pound test to 130 pound test.

[@gungadinn]

Penn hasn’t made the Torque series of reels in a while. The 16S is the absolute smallest reel I’d use. Both the gear train and drag system would handle the job. I noticed that none of the rods had roller guides. Could that be because Penn no longer makes a good offshore rod with roller guides?

[@tunanorth]

PENN definitely still makes the Torque series reels; they never stopped. The 16S was a nice reel, but has been discontinued for 17 years, and was optimized for 40-pound mono lines. Regarding rod guides, although all of these setups have a short mono topshot, the majority of the line system is superbraid. Modern SIC guides made for braid [though expensive] are actually superior to rollers for the Gel-Spun Poly lines. For anglers using all [or mostly] monofilament line systems, roller guides are still a viable choice.

[@gungadinn]

@@tunanorth I stand corrected on the Torque reels. When I just looked up a Torque 40N and a International 16VIS, the Torque is $10 more. I don't foresee me purchasing a Torque any time soon. What I wrote was that a 16S was the smallest reel I'd use, not that it was the most current version. Unless you're a commercial charter boat captain, the OG International reels will live for many years without service. Service them once a year and they will outlive you. I can't say the same for the Shimano Triton 2 speed reels I have. Until I sold my boat, I budgeted $2,500 a year for a pair of rods and reels. Never had reason to purchase anything larger than a 80 series International.

[@johntuttle9544]

@@gungadinn You are missing out on FANTASTIC reel in a Torque.

[@tunanorth]

Feel free to ask follow-up questions.

[@xhammerhead22x]

Where does the 50 size reel come into play? Kite only?

[@tunanorth]

@@xhammerhead22x Correct, a 50-size reel would be used almost exclusively for kite fishing.

[@xhammerhead22x]

I really like the carnage rods. I noticed on the 7'8" model its a moderate action. Do you fish live bait with that as well or is that a dedicated rod for your jigs?

[@tunanorth]

@@xhammerhead22x The 7 foot, 8-inch model is nicknamed "Guadalupe Special", because it is also intended for use with live bait. Its an excellent choice for jigs up to about 280gr., along with sinker-rigged live bait, and heavier flylining [as is done at Guadalupe]. However, if you are using jigs of 300-400gr. or more, you should probably look at one of the heavier 7-foot models.

[@Terryray123]

And no lefties in there models

[@2hyped72]

Must be nice to be able to afford this kind of gear. Lol

[@tunanorth]

True that fishing for large tuna requires extremely high quality tackle. However, fishing in the San Diego area offers numerous opportunities to catch fish on relatively inexpensive gear; including local kelp beds, surf, piers, bays, lagoons, jetties, and also the San Diego River and freshwater lakes.

[@2hyped72]

@@tunanorth yesterday I went to Pechanga and won $800 bucks!! Looks like I will be able to maybe get one of those reels now. LOL