While Drifting or Trolling I use the Tuna Squid Lure to get my Baits Down Deeper where the mid-day Fish Hang Out.
Fish don’t have Maui Jim’s, so they adjust the amount of light with water depth, especially with tuna and wahoo.
How to Land a Yellowfin Tuna with a Barefoot Tuna Squid Jig 2023
Use the newest tuna lure from Barefoot’s Arsenal: it drifts and trolls well and fishes with or without bait. Get your baits down deeper where the fish hang out.
Are there times when I want to high-speed troll to locate areas with fish? YES. Are there times when I want to troll 6-7 knots to catch numbers of good fish when they are on or near the surface feeding? YES!
That said, are there times to slow down and get baits down to where the fish are in the water column? YES, Definitely! These times are typically after 10 or 10:30 a.m. when the sun is high and on or around a full moon. The first reason is apparent.
Fish don’t have Maui Jim’s, so they adjust the amount of light they need/want with water depth, especially with wahoo and tuna. And the full moon thing, well, they stay up all night eating under the “big light.”
Have you ever noticed how the bite dies down after 10 or 11 in the morning? Have you ever noticed the days around a full moon are typically slow’? These are not just a coincidence. Granted, the planner rod (aka “the meat stick”) will produce at daylight, midday, and around the full moon, but I much prefer to catch these fish (any fish) on as light tackle as possible. I like to slow it down and use the correct tackle for the job while getting baits down in the strike zone.
While drifting or trolling, I use a jig to get my baits down deeper where the mid-day fish hang out. A 4-ounce Tuna Lure – Squid Decoy Jig (click the link to purchase one) – is a good option because it drifts and trolls well and fishes with or without bait. When tipped with cigar minnow or sardine, the jig looks like a squid that has caught supper, and everything eats squid. It’s the ultimate tuna lure.
This squid lure can be fished with fluorocarbon instead of wire or cable simply because almost all wahoo strikes on squid tend to cut the back half of the squid off before consumption. In addition, predatory fish know that they can quickly eliminate a squid’s only defenses: their tentacles and a biting beak.
A stinger hook in the head of a live or frozen cigar minnow or sardine will do the work. There is only one major problem with this setup. Don’t let it get too close to the bottom, or you’ll have a grouper or big snapper bite. I think we just got ’em on a technicality. If you are “trolling for wahoo” and let the bait get too close to the bottom and catch a grouper, oh well, I wasn’t using circle hooks. Just sayin’.
SALTWATER TACKLE YOU MAY WANT TO TRY:
7/0 and 11/0 J-Hook Chin Weights: Target fish include Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi or Common Dolphin, King Mackerel, Wahoo, and more. Easy to rig!
4 oz. Crab Decoy Jig: Target fish for Striped Bass, nearshore Drum, Snook, Grouper, west coast bottom fish, and more.
4 oz. Tuna Squid Decoy Jig: From the eastern, western, Alaskan, and gulf coasts, target fish include: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Fluke, Flounder, Striped Bass, Seabass, Amberjack (east coast), Yellow Tail (west coast), California White Sea Bass (west coast), Grouper, Snapper, Halibut, Ling cod, and all Alaskan bottom fish.
8 oz. - 12 oz. 10/0 Squid Decoy Jig: Catch BIG Grouper, Amberjack, Giant Stripers, and more.
