Tuna jigging

Minnow · 07-04-2006, 11:02 AM

What do you think is the best jig for tuna.
Is it the longer version or the shorter version?
Do you work if fast or slow?

I Think for yft tuna, shorter jig and slower action seem to be the ticket.

mcgolfer · 07-04-2006, 12:13 PM

i like the 300 gram size butterfly jigs for dropping to catch tuna's. i prefer the long skinny jigs in the 300 to 400 gram size for jigging up snappers and groupers in deeper water over 200ft. a lot of times the current dictates using lighter or heavier jigs to get a verticle jigging action and a better idea of what depth the fish are holding and feeding. due to the price increases as the size of jigs gets larger you might want to try to use the smallest jig that you can fish that allows you to verticle jig. with jigs it is amazing at what will attack a large jig. i have much better hook up bite per drop ratio when i am violently jigging for tuna's rather than the lift and drop method. the lift and drop seems to work better for me when i bounce it off the bottom fishing for groupers and snappers....rick

DeepBlueGulf · 07-04-2006, 03:46 PM

Rick,

Everyone knows you are the king of the BFT jig, but have you caught many YFT while jigging with the knife/butterfly style jigs? On the Big E do you jig by casting the same direction as the poppers are flying and letting the jig sink, or do you just stay on the chunk side and jig straight up and down? Just curious.

Tom - DBG

Minnow · 07-04-2006, 07:50 PM

What is you take on this Kil ?

ksong · 07-04-2006, 08:33 PM

I haven't had much success on fast cranking to jig yellowfin, longfin and bluefin, but I found blackfin tuna loves fast moving jigs.
It does not mean slow jigging is better than fast cranking to catch them. I seldom tried fast cranking for tuna here because it is not possible for me phisically to crank fast for many hours nonstop.

I have been following the fishing reports from Big E and other overnight tuna boats in Gulf Coast curiously to know how they catch tuna on jigs.
I read they catch small yellowfin tuna on fast cranking.
One of the objectives on the Big E trip in late Oct is to observe how tuna respond to fast moving jigs as I know many guys on the boat are going to use Japanese style jigging.

Minnow · 07-04-2006, 09:00 PM

Kil, you are right on the money about fast moving jig and blackfin tuna.
You can catch them all night long if you have popeye's arms LOL.

I think blackfin tuna react to fast jig because they are small and agile, while bigger tuna not as agile as smaller tuna, therefor need a slower technique.

Minnow · 07-04-2006, 10:37 PM

I wonder, how many people in this forum have caught yellowfin tuna using jig?

If you had, how big was it? was it on the drop?

bellyup · 07-05-2006, 01:40 AM

I brought one 60-70 pound YFT to the Big E on a 14 ounce knife jig. He hit the knife on a slow retrieve with an up and down rod action while retrieving. That is my luck with it. I have seen YFT caught in the 50 pound class with the longest (and narrowist) crippled herring jig. These were caught by inexperienced yahoos just drifting them out in the current and lifting the rod up and down. They let the cripple herring way out, like a chunk.

Ragman · 07-05-2006, 10:55 AM

Hey tj- On our Dolphin 60 hour I caught a 57# YFT on an 8 oz. Tady in blue/chrome.

I was probably about 200 feet down, and since I was tired from fast cranking, just popping the jig up high, and letting it flutter down.

When the tuna came over the boat, the jig just fell out of its mouth and onto the deck!

He must have been hungry. Other than some small football YFTs on surface iron, that's the only YFT for me on a deep jig.

CaptEddie · 07-05-2006, 12:49 PM

Ive caught a good amount of yellowfin jigging. Being that all I do is drop it down 150 feet and put it in the rod holder and crank it up as fast as I can. Cant remember the last time I actually jigged it LOL Mostly just tryig to catch blackfin to chum for the yellows. Ole fashioned 8 ounce diamond jig.

07-04-2006, 11:02 AM	#1 (permalink)
Minnow Administrator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Richardson Posts: 1,161	Tuna jigging What do you think is the best jig for tuna. Is it the longer version or the shorter version? Do you work if fast or slow? I Think for yft tuna, shorter jig and slower action seem to be the ticket.

07-04-2006, 12:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
mcgolfer Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: antlers oklahoma Posts: 403	i like the 300 gram size butterfly jigs for dropping to catch tuna's. i prefer the long skinny jigs in the 300 to 400 gram size for jigging up snappers and groupers in deeper water over 200ft. a lot of times the current dictates using lighter or heavier jigs to get a verticle jigging action and a better idea of what depth the fish are holding and feeding. due to the price increases as the size of jigs gets larger you might want to try to use the smallest jig that you can fish that allows you to verticle jig. with jigs it is amazing at what will attack a large jig. i have much better hook up bite per drop ratio when i am violently jigging for tuna's rather than the lift and drop method. the lift and drop seems to work better for me when i bounce it off the bottom fishing for groupers and snappers....rick __________________ there is no limit on tackle

07-05-2006, 10:55 AM	#9 (permalink)
Ragman Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 924	Hey tj- On our Dolphin 60 hour I caught a 57# YFT on an 8 oz. Tady in blue/chrome. I was probably about 200 feet down, and since I was tired from fast cranking, just popping the jig up high, and letting it flutter down. When the tuna came over the boat, the jig just fell out of its mouth and onto the deck! He must have been hungry. Other than some small football YFTs on surface iron, that's the only YFT for me on a deep jig. __________________ Tom www.oceantackle.net *Go Hard or Go Home!*

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07-04-2006, 03:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
DeepBlueGulf Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 612	Rick, Everyone knows you are the king of the BFT jig, but have you caught many YFT while jigging with the knife/butterfly style jigs? On the Big E do you jig by casting the same direction as the poppers are flying and letting the jig sink, or do you just stay on the chunk side and jig straight up and down? Just curious. Tom - DBG

07-04-2006, 07:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
Minnow Administrator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Richardson Posts: 1,161	What is you take on this Kil ?

07-04-2006, 08:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
ksong Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,270	I haven't had much success on fast cranking to jig yellowfin, longfin and bluefin, but I found blackfin tuna loves fast moving jigs. It does not mean slow jigging is better than fast cranking to catch them. I seldom tried fast cranking for tuna here because it is not possible for me phisically to crank fast for many hours nonstop. I have been following the fishing reports from Big E and other overnight tuna boats in Gulf Coast curiously to know how they catch tuna on jigs. I read they catch small yellowfin tuna on fast cranking. One of the objectives on the Big E trip in late Oct is to observe how tuna respond to fast moving jigs as I know many guys on the boat are going to use Japanese style jigging.

07-04-2006, 09:00 PM	#6 (permalink)
Minnow Administrator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Richardson Posts: 1,161	Kil, you are right on the money about fast moving jig and blackfin tuna. You can catch them all night long if you have popeye's arms LOL. I think blackfin tuna react to fast jig because they are small and agile, while bigger tuna not as agile as smaller tuna, therefor need a slower technique.

07-04-2006, 10:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
Minnow Administrator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Richardson Posts: 1,161	I wonder, how many people in this forum have caught yellowfin tuna using jig? If you had, how big was it? was it on the drop?

07-05-2006, 01:40 AM	#8 (permalink)
bellyup Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 58	I brought one 60-70 pound YFT to the Big E on a 14 ounce knife jig. He hit the knife on a slow retrieve with an up and down rod action while retrieving. That is my luck with it. I have seen YFT caught in the 50 pound class with the longest (and narrowist) crippled herring jig. These were caught by inexperienced yahoos just drifting them out in the current and lifting the rod up and down. They let the cripple herring way out, like a chunk.

07-05-2006, 12:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
CaptEddie Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Venice, La Posts: 168	Ive caught a good amount of yellowfin jigging. Being that all I do is drop it down 150 feet and put it in the rod holder and crank it up as fast as I can. Cant remember the last time I actually jigged it LOL Mostly just tryig to catch blackfin to chum for the yellows. Ole fashioned 8 ounce diamond jig.

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