Tuna quotas

[Moonwalker]

Although I dont go trolling for Tuna, I believe that there must be an agrement that the professional quotas and recreational quotas be separated so that if one is exceeded it does not effect the other. Sports fishing can hardly reach the quota established after all.
Catch and release is also welcome especially if this is for all year round but being able to land at least 1 beast in a season would be enough to get the fuel burnt back.

[LapsiBoy]

Its very hard to catch a tuna that is over 30 kilos nowadays, the big ones are all caught by purse saining because they move in shoals (big tunas)
and are all caught in one swoop !

[robby017]

if your tackle is right lapsi, you'll get the strike... i had the right lures twice, and twice got snapped off by the possible BFT whilst trolling for albacore.

[skip]

Robby I know you like handlines but you should really look at getting a rod/reel and let the drag work for you.....guarantee you will lose less fish...if you've got hot lures and are going to the good spots it seems a shame to be losing them. On your hand you simply can't simulate quick enough the effect of a drag on a reel

[robby017]

Hopefully i'll be trying that next Saturday if we go, i'll let out a normal handline and one on the rod, i've gone light, hopefully not to light, my rod is a 15-20lb mitchell trolling rod with an Okuma multiplier ,the SD Okuma 45L, with braided spectra 0.44mm with a breaking strain of circa 70kg if i'm not mistaken. what do you think nic ?

[skip]

You'll run out of drag pressure on that reel long before you have to worry about breaking your line The SD 45L probably can put out around 15lbs of max drag at best so what you lose in drag pressure you are gaining in line capacity by using braid.

For alungi it sounds great, for a 20-30kgs tuna you'll have the time of your life, just go easy with the drag pressure not to break that rod but I hear they're pretty tough. Just make sure you run a 50-75 yards of mono top shot on that braid so you have some shock absorbption.....30-40lbs mono

[robby017]

can we speak meters and dia for the mono plz ?

[skip]

Around 70 meters, and I don't like to talk mm dia for mono because there is no official standard....each manufacturer works to different strengths for the same diameter. I know it's what people like to use here but it's very misleading.

0.70mm from Manufacturer A might break at 50lbs but from B at 60lbs.

But basically 30-40lbs is roughly 0.52-0.60mm

[robby017]

I have a mono, 0.70mm breaking point of 32kg... what do you think ? to thick? i was going for a 3-4m flouocarbon 0.66mm leader and then a good swievel and then attach the braid immeadiately.... guess thats not the best approach.

[The_Gaffer]

Your tackle is good, I'm concerned about your rod and reel. If you're out for tuna, you can be hit by anything from 30kgs to 100+ kgs. That drag on the okuma would just melt away. I have a shimano tiagra 30W with a shimano beqstmaster full roller 5
50/80lbs and am still a bit concerned what will happen ir I hit into a 120kg+ BFT.

[shanook]

u will probably run out of line nick................

[robby017]

no, no, i'm targetting albacore with that set up, should a monster come, i'll turn old school and use jerrycan's and try bring it up on hand....

[skip]

u will probably run out of line nick................

On a 20-30kgs Tuna with 15-16lbs of drag I don't think Robby would have an issue. That reel is probably packed with a serious amount of braid 600 yards+ so as Joe said its really the rod one has to be careful with.

The 70m is just the top shot on the braid.......join with an Albright Knot or uni to uni .

In the 5 years that I've been out trolling, the last 4 with expensive rods/reels set up for tuna it's all been a total waste of time, so don't bother going OTT with big ass rods/reels around Malta it's pointless. It's illegal and I repeat illegal to fish in close proximity to the fish farms for Tuna....so something like a good 30W (Penn 30VW, Tiagra 30W etc) is MORE than enough.......especially if you choose to back it with 100lbs braid just in case.

When trolling you'll find it very hard to raise those big tuna from down deep, trust me I've tried many times even with spreader bars, daisy chains etc etc. It's true I've not been out 2-3 times per week in those years but we even went out to 'good spots' 60nm offshore for nothing.

I'm will to 'bet' that you won't catch anything above 40kgs whilst trolling........if you're chumming and then drifting even if not at the fish farm that's a different story but then you'd need to be set up differently.

Joe for trolling in my humble opinion you have absolutely nothing to be worried about...I say bring on the monster! You're more likely to lose it from  your terminal tackle (snap swivel or lure) than from the main line.

So for Alungi Robby I would say no issues....you could use that mono if you wanted to like that you'd only be sacrificing your fluoro if you break your line. Personally I rig my lures with fluoro, and then just crimp a snap swivel on the end of the mono which connects to a crimped eye on the lure.

[robby017]

That reel is probably packed with a serious amount of braid 600 yards+

circa 350 meters if i'm not mistaken...

[skip]

Hmm you are a bit short for Tuna, ideally you should be 600 yards min especially if you get a real brute or one that is full of energy.

You're fine to Alungi.....always of course just my opinion