Tuna Trolling Lures - Pics

5

5-Salt Fever

Guest
A small sample of common west coast tuna lures:


- Clones: Colored 2oz 6in hoochies (Mexican flag Color Pic'd
- Feathers: Same as clone but with feathers added for better bubble trail (Sablefish Color pic'd)
- Cedar Plugs in 4 and 6in sizes (Natural works best in our waters)

All are rigged with Jinkai Mono 150-200lb test and crimped Jinkai H size crimping sleeve with chaffing rings at hook end for longevity.

More to come...

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More Clones and Feathers: In order of my best producers - Missing in a color called Rootbeer. Works when other won't.

I have also having extremely good luck with 7-8in Chartuse Hoochies rigged with 3/4oz egg sinker in the head then rigged as discribed about with Jinkai Mono/sleeves and chaffing rings. Mustand 22 or 20 Stainless Tuna hook - barbless or barbed both work as good as the other.

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Sablefish.jpg


Zuchini.jpg



Dorado.jpg


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Nice, 5-Salt. I have a bunch of Mustad 7/0 95160 hooks in need of something to rig them with. Where do you get your 7-8" hoochies? I could use quite a few.
 
We used the ZUCs mainly last year. What ones have the most luck for you guys?
 
Polynesian Bone Jigs custom made in Vava'u, Tonga.
Hook is somewhat fragile but no doubt effective.

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Nitka Fishing Sells them: 2.5oz Tuna Clones manufactured by Sevenstand. http://nikka.ca/?cat=Tuna&sub=Jigs&page=1

Pacific Net and Twine has a selection of Tuna Trolling gear as well: http://www.pacificnetandtwine.com/index.php?cat=2266&SESS=085cd54e6cd177a2caa03cd8838fed4a&filter=


You can check out www.charkbait.com, www.finestkind.com, or www.meltoninternational.com, to view Lures - Tuna. Try to pruchased from local commercial fishing suppy as they will be cheaper. Typically, clones run about $4.50 each in pack of ten.

-Stainless Mustad size 21 or 22 hooks will run you about cnd 80.00 for 50qty.
-Jinkia Mono 200lb Leader about cnd 22.00 for 100yrds.
-Jinkia "H" size crimp sleeves are about cdn 60.00 for 500qty...smaller quantities are available.
-KOLSTRAND brand brass Grommets w/ring are cdn 21.00 for 25qty.
-Yozuri "tuna" Swivels in 500-600lb test run about cnd 1.00 each - any good stainless 400-600lb barrel swivel will work.

It's a bit of cash to be sure but if a couple/three guys go in together the cash outlay goes down to reasonble and these lures will hold up for a long time. Every couple of trips I may lose a hook or two out the grommet. Last summer I lost one rigged clone due to a blowout topshot knot.

A lot of this stuff may seem like over kill in terms of Lbs test but on the troll whether with handlines or rod/reel you will need this heavy stuff. You can go with 100lb test but these fish are not line shy and your lures being surfase trolled at 5-6kts not much of the leader is in the water.

There are times for a stealthier presentation - swimbait, jigs, iron jigs and plugs like Yozuri Crystal Minnows, etc... Next post we can discuss.

To compliment your spread and are much cheaper to rig - go with salmon hoochies in similar colors. Just run a 3/4oz egg sinker into the hoochie and rig with Jinkai leader/crimps, mustad hooks, etc...

Will post pics of additional tuna lures soon.
 
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