Chunking tuna setup advice

[CaptEd]

Looking to get on a tuna chunking trip on a party boat this year. Most likely on the Voyager. First time tuna fishing. Looking to get a middle of the road setup without breaking the bank.
Thanks in advance for any advice

[tjd24]

How big is the bank?

You can go with a 6/0 Penn Senator to a top of the line 2 speed lever drag.

[Gerry Zagorski]

The minimum you are going to want is something in the 30 pound class and if I were you, I'd want a lever drag, not a star drag reel...

What's your budget?

[John D.]

Highly recommend a Penn 16vsx 2 speed if you can get your hands on one. Smaller and more powerful than 30s and plenty of line capacity. Perfect reel for party boats at the rail.

[CaptEd]

Budget maybe $500 or so for rod and reel. Definitely want lever drag. Not sure of necessity of 2 speed at this stage but I never had nor used a 2 speed before

[AndyS]

I guess I could sell you my tuna outfit, send you a PM

[2na]

Look for a 7' 40-80lb class rod. It should have a long (12" min.) butt and a long (10" min.) fore grip. The 7' length is nice to have when the fish makes a run under the boat and you need to "follow" it under to keep your line off the keel. The long butt grip is also nice to have during this same scenario. In party boat tuna fishing, the rail is your friend. This is where the long fore grip comes into play. You lay the fore grip on the rail (fulcrum) to advantage the angler during the fight.
THAT SAID: I've yet to find this exact rod on a retail (non-custom) shelf. That's kinda what led ME into custom rod building. I couldn't buy what I wanted so I learned to do it myself. Soooo, if you're not interested in a rod building addiction, just try to find something similar. You'll probably have to compromise on the butt or fore grip.
As far as a reel goes...Shimano TLD 30 2 speed. Loaded with 60lb mono. Good starting point.

[Offshoreafflicted]

I worked as a mate on a local party boat for years and If this is your first trip I would suggest renting a rod and reel. et a lay of the land and make sure you like it before investing in a rod and reel. If you love it, you can invest in a nice rod and reel.

When you are selecting a rod and reel keep in mind that tuna fishing from a party boat is very different than fishing on a private boat or 6 man charters. You have more lines in the water, you are higher off the water and the vessel cannot maneuver to chase your fish. It is entirely up to the angler (and the mate) to keep your line free of tangles, prevent the line from rubbing on the hull and making quick moves over under over other lines and if necessary the anchor line. That being said you want a longer rod and heavier line for fishing on a party boat than what you would normally use. My suggestion would be a rod of 7 feet in length paired with a reel that can handle 60-80lb mono. I used a 6/0 Senator very effectively, but if the budget allows a lever drag reel is definitely worth the investment. The longer rod helps keep the line off the hull and lets you get the rod tip down in the water if the fish goes under the boat, it also makes it easier to pass it under the pulpit and get the tip up over the heads of another angler coming down the rail.

My favorite set up for party boat tuna is a 7ft gator Glass rod made by Kevin Bogan paired with a Penn International 30 spooled with 60lb mono. I can use it to chunk and it can sling a jig a mile (underhand). It is a great all-around rod for party boat tuna and if the big boys show up in the slick it is capable of putting them on deck.

If you plan on using braid, make sure you check with the captain before you spend the money. Some boats do not allow it. Drop-in on Kevin Bogan and he has never steered me wrong.

[bunker dunker]

4/0 senator wide spool on a 6-6" 30-50lb rated rod spooled up with 50lb test.
this set up has caught tuna for decades.not allot of money,easy to operate and can be used for cod,shark and other fishes if you find tuna is not your thing.i have all the new stuff but still like jigging my tuna with the 4/0.

[Capt Sal]

4/0 senator wide spool on a 6-6" 30-50lb rated rod spooled up with 50lb test.
this set up has caught tuna for decades.not allot of money,easy to operate and can be used for cod,shark and other fishes if you find tuna is not your thing.i have all the new stuff but still like jigging my tuna with the 4/0.

TOO small.Party boat not private.Even private i would go bigger.

[Jigman13]

I'd got with offshoreafflicted's advice. Rent or borrow a set up. If you like it, save more money, up your budget and invest in a quality set up. If you're dropping $600+ per trip I would not go offshore without a set up built to maximize effectiveness and durability. Look towards shimano and penn. Tiagra, talica, internationals. Gotta pay to play.

[joy luck]

Hi Capt. Ed,

I fish the Voyager for tuna annually and they won't steer you wrong. Don't be afraid to let the mates know you're a newbie and they're always helpful. Rental might be the way to go before you invest a lot, but the chunking setup I use is right around your budget. I have a 6'8" fish poison rod from bogan with a 30vsw penn squall spooled with 60lb mono.

[John D.]

Surprised not to see an additional mention for the penn 16vsx. The 2 speed lever drag reel is perfect for chunking....lighter and smaller than a 30 but with more stronger and better drag. It’s a beast.

[bunker dunker]

the 4/0 is plenty big enough.i guess you have not been out on a party boat in a while for tuna.sure there are better but that 4/0 has caught plenty of tuna.your
and old salt,what did we do before the 2 speed and the 7 to 1 reels??? i have caught 100lb plus on a 4/0 and like i said i still use them.

[thefishermanmechanic]

I’ve seen a sword over 200# landed on a rental on the voyager. Wasn’t anything fancy!

[CaptEd]

Looking to get on one of the voyager trips. Tile fished when them a few times. First class operation all the way around

[CaptEd]

the 4/0 is plenty big enough.i guess you have not been out on a party boat in a while for tuna.sure there are better but that 4/0 has caught plenty of tuna.your
and old salt,what did we do before the 2 speed and the 7 to 1 reels??? i have caught 100lb plus on a 4/0 and like i said i still use them.

How true

[CaptEd]

Hi Capt. Ed,

I fish the Voyager for tuna annually and they won't steer you wrong. Don't be afraid to let the mates know you're a newbie and they're always helpful. Rental might be the way to go before you invest a lot, but the chunking setup I use is right around your budget. I have a 6'8" fish poison rod from bogan with a 30vsw penn squall spooled with 60lb mono.

Voyager is best in the business. Better than first class

[togzilla]

I’ve been tuna party boat fishing since 1994 and I think the best advice I can give you is go with a rental rod. The Voyager is my favorite boat and there rental equipment is perfectly fine. The tuna chunk bite for yellowfin/longfin has not been very good (overall)in the past few years so before you lay out $500 for a new set that may never even experience a bite go with the rental for your first time. If you really enjoy it and plan on going again stop by and see Kevin Bogan and he will set you up with the right rod. There were many good suggestions on reels by others so I am not going to comment other than make sure you’re buying a reel capable of holding at least 350-400yard of mono. You can also go smaller on the reel size and use braid with at least a 100 yards of mono top shot but make sure that reel has enough drag to handle the 100lb tuna or occasional large sword. Make sure you base your rod and reel decision on party boat tuna chunking as this requires different tackle than private boat chunking.
The first chunking trip I did in 1994 on a party boat I landed 5 yellowfin and the next day I went out and dropped $800 on a new set up and was hook for life. That’s back when the cost was $180 including tip! Good luck.

[Pennsy Guy]

As others have stated, I'd suggest using a boat rental set up for your first time out. Then, if you like tuna fishing, invest in an outfit---that's what a lot of us did. Some, like me, become addicted to tuna fishing. I've been upgrading & expanding the arsenal for the past 25+/- years...

[Meat Hunter]

I have a cost effective setup. 7' Bogan rod and I bought a Penn Fathom 60 two speed on sale in the winter. The rod was like 200 and the reel was 160. I can put pressure on the fish!!! Reel is probably overkill.

I bought my own setup because a lot of the rental rods are junk on the boats. You'll have a tough time landing the fish on an old 6/0 that rocks sideways when you reel it.


Meat Hunter

[nmc02]

I love the shimano talica reels....a talica 25 or 50 two speed.

[Jigman13]

I love the shimano talica reels....a talica 25 or 50 two speed.

X2!! The 25 w holocore and mono wind on will smoke canyon dwellers. They're light yet incredibly powerful reels.

[njboarder]

Fished V for years until a few years ago when I bought a house that needs a lot of work and had a baby.
Irony was that one of the reasons I bought a house was because I got sick of washing my 160qt cooler in the bathtub of my condo and wanted to hose off the cooler in a driveway. But no time to go fishing now since I'm always busy working on the house.

I'm with others about paying 25 bux or so and renting the equipment first time around. I went through a few setups and wasted $$ buying and selling until I ended up building one myself as nothing was available off the rack nor I could find a custom rod builder who was willing to work with ideas I had.

My needs were:
spiral wrapped to stabilize the rod with a wide reel.
7.5-8' long to clear the hull
long foregrip made with tough material so i can rail without damaging the grip
long rear grip so I could sit on it while railing.


So I built the rod in the vid and as you can see, i had no issue landing that bigeye which took around 30-40 mins. For yellowfins, I usually take no longer than 5-7 mins with this setup. I feel that the longer you keep fish in the water, the higher chance of losing, so I try to finish it as fast as I can.

edit. how do i insert a vid?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATuz4RB8LEo

[slammer]

Use a rental rod.Bring fluorocarbon #60 /#40.You only need fluoro during daylight; Owner or Gamakatsu 6/0 live bait hooks.Tell the mates your new to tuna fishing.They will set you up. You only need to use the KISS until you have caught one! Then you will have tuna fever=$$$$:D

[Capt. Lou]

Maybe someone can explain the need for 2 speed reels ? No one uses the rod anymore to lift n reel but me ! Ya I’ve used the following 2 speed reels , Garcia
Shimano , Duel , Fin Nor & Alutecnos ! The best of the lot was Duel !

[Jigman13]

Fished V for years until a few years ago when I bought a house that needs a lot of work and had a baby.
Irony was that one of the reasons I bought a house was because I got sick of washing my 160qt cooler in the bathtub of my condo and wanted to hose off the cooler in a driveway. But no time to go fishing now since I'm always busy working on the house.

I'm with others about paying 25 bux or so and renting the equipment first time around. I went through a few setups and wasted $$ buying and selling until I ended up building one myself as nothing was available off the rack nor I could find a custom rod builder who was willing to work with ideas I had.

My needs were:
spiral wrapped to stabilize the rod with a wide reel.
7.5-8' long to clear the hull
long foregrip made with tough material so i can rail without damaging the grip
long rear grip so I could sit on it while railing.


So I built the rod in the vid and as you can see, i had no issue landing that bigeye which took around 30-40 mins. For yellowfins, I usually take no longer than 5-7 mins with this setup. I feel that the longer you keep fish in the water, the higher chance of losing, so I try to finish it as fast as I can.

edit. how do i insert a vid?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATuz4RB8LEo

That rod looked bad ass! Whered you bury the gimbal? I couldn't fully see how you were holding the rod aside from how you used the rail fulcrum. West coast slay job lol

[2na]

Maybe someone can explain the need for 2 speed reels ? No one uses the rod anymore to lift n reel but me ! Ya I’ve used the following 2 speed reels , Garcia
Shimano , Duel , Fin Nor & Alutecnos ! The best of the lot was Duel !

PARTY BOAT...Use the rail! Reel in low. When the water caries the boat up you're lifting, when the boat sinks into the trough you reel. All the while the rod is loaded with the foregrip on the rail.

[CaptEd]

So much to think about. Seems like majority says rental rod. Just was nervous that it would be junk thus making it less enjoyable first experience

[togzilla]

So much to think about. Seems like majority says rental rod. Just was nervous that it would be junk thus making it less enjoyable first experience

Rental rods on the Voyager are not junk. The most important thing in my opinion is using fluoro carbon (various lb. 80-40lb), quality swivel and quality hook. You could have the best rod & reel but that is going to do nothing to give you better odds of getting a bite.

[Kevin Bogan]

The "Hardware" used on offshore rods is a clear indicator of how well they will hold up.
Machined reel seat?:cool:
Machined gimbal?:cool:
Long enough to help clear the chine?:eek:
Plastic parts on seat or gimbal?:mad::confused:
Made in China????:confused::eek:
You might want to look into a rod that will catch fish and last for years and years.;)

[Capt. Lou]

PARTY BOAT...Use the rail! Reel in low. When the water caries the boat up you're lifting, when the boat sinks into the trough you reel. All the while the rod is loaded with the foregrip on the rail.

I understand , that principle , however the amount of line u would gain in low gear opposed to doing same with standard ratio , to me is wasted effort .

[PortlyRedhead]

Rental rods on the Voyager are not junk. The most important thing in my opinion is using fluoro carbon (various lb. 80-40lb), quality swivel and quality hook. You could have the best rod & reel but that is going to do nothing to give you better odds of getting a bite.

This is excellent advice. Ask the mates on the Voyager what terminal tackle you need before your trip and spend $50-100 at Fisherman's Supply or the Reel Seat to equip your quality rental rod with the sharpest hooks and most invisible flourocarbon to maxmize your tuna catching opportunity.

This is the suggested canyon tuna tackle list from the Voyager's website.

"Tuna Tackle – 50, 60 and 80-lb test fluorocarbon leader material, barrel swivels (provided), 5/0 to 8/0 chunking or circle hooks (6/0 chunking hooks provided), 6 to 8-oz hammer finish diamond jigs, 1 to 8-oz egg sinkers, 8 to 16-oz bank sinkers, rubber bands, Cyalume light sticks (assorted colors)"

[Capt. Debbie]

Would you pay $600 for a VERY limited use set up and then $400 on a boat trip fare you may never take again? Minimize the investment until you see if you'll do it again. At the same time check out the other rods in use on the boat. Talk to them. You'll get your own idea what you like OR NOT.

One thing not mentioned - jigging versus bait. These damn heavy setup rod/reel suck jigging a 16 oz diamond jig. Even a roller tip is a pain in the ass jigging.

And an 8 foot rod gives the fish more leverage not the angler and there's no outboards to go around on a party boat.


Braid versus mono with a top shot of leader or mono? Or straight monofilament that's a natural shock absorber to minimize breaks of tuna runs. Especially the 2nd and 3rd ones after hooked when your arms are already burning.

Also fighting belt gimbals on party boats- USELESS. That works best on a private boat.


SECRET WEAPON... Get yourself some Gamakatsu tuna hooks and make your own set ups in advance. They are line shy so a 30 lb leader will out catch fish while a 60 pounder will get ignored with butterfish or live squid (if they can be gotten). The tuna have great eyesight and if the bait does not look right they will IGNORE YOU
Make a 2 or 3 hook-leader setups in advance with 30, 40 and 60 pound leaders. Use the lightest hook-leader setup that will work. If nothing switch down in leader size if the fish are hitting others on the boat but not you.

So much to think about. Seems like majority says rental rod. Just was nervous that it would be junk thus making it less enjoyable first experience

[Capt. Debbie]

They want you to come back to their boat. Why would you think they give you junk? So you go elsewhere next time tuna on a PB?

So much to think about. Seems like majority says rental rod. Just was nervous that it would be junk thus making it less enjoyable first experience

[Capt Sal]

Would you pay $600 for a VERY limited use set up and then $400 on a boat trip fare you may never take again? Minimize the investment until you see if you'll do it again. At the same time check out the other rods in use on the boat. Talk to them. You'll get your own idea what you like OR NOT.

One thing not mentioned - jigging versus bait. These damn heavy setup rod/reel suck jigging a 16 oz diamond jig. Even a roller tip is a pain in the ass jigging.

And an 8 foot rod gives the fish more leverage not the angler and there's no outboards to go around on a party boat.


Braid versus mono with a top shot of leader or mono? Or straight monofilament that's a natural shock absorber to minimize breaks of tuna runs. Especially the 2nd and 3rd ones after hooked when your arms are already burning.

Also fighting belt gimbals on party boats- USELESS. That works best on a private boat.


SECRET WEAPON... Get yourself some Gamakatsu tuna hooks and make your own set ups in advance. They are line shy so a 30 lb leader will out catch fish while a 60 pounder will get ignored with butterfish or live squid (if they can be gotten). The tuna have great eyesight and if the bait does not look right they will IGNORE YOU
Make a 2 or 3 hook-leader setups in advance with 30, 40 and 60 pound leaders. Use the lightest hook-leader setup that will work. If nothing switch down in leader size if the fish are hitting others on the boat but not you.
It is true 30 lb floro will get you more bites but on a party boat with 20-30 anglers it is tough unless they are small yellowfin.

[Pennsy Guy]

It is true 30 lb floro will get you more bites but on a party boat with 20-30 anglers it is tough unless they are small yellowfin.

Not really, we do it all the time (go light) during the day, if they have lighter leader material--that's 24 anglers--not all go that light; 40# leader is about as light as you'd want to go 'til you gain enough experience...
As Capt. Frank said, they're not giving you a junk outfit---it'd be "one and done". Some PB's(at least one) supplies leaders and eggs for their rentals---within reason, of course....
At any rate, catch 'em up, keep your eyes open watching the "pros", don't be afraid to ask questions...most importantly, have a good time...

[Capt Sal]

Not really, we do it all the time (go light) during the day, if they have lighter leader material--that's 24 anglers--not all go that light; 40# leader is about as light as you'd want to go 'til you gain enough experience...
As Capt. Frank said, they're not giving you a junk outfit---it'd be "one and done". Some PB's(at least one) supplies leaders and eggs for their rentals---within reason, of course....
At any rate, catch 'em up, keep your eyes open watching the "pros", don't be afraid to ask questions...most importantly, have a good time...

I ran canyon trips on party boats but that was 20 years ago.Back then we did not allow braid.We did go lighter when the sun came up.There were nights when they hit 100 lb leader and man could you put it to um. Some of the guys on here are too young to have been in on the Bacardi BFT -YFT run in the eighties. No braid no floro no stellas just Ande line and shoe polish.I guess i am dating myself but man was that some fishery and lots of fun.