Get the lines way back – and then a little more – for bluefin tuna!
In terms of offshore tuna vernacular, “Way Way Back Line” is one that is commonly talked about, and of course, utilized when trolling on the bluefin tuna grounds. The WBL abbreviation is the standard scribe when reading about the application, and for each additional W included, another 100 yards of length is added in length trolled from the rod tip. For example, WWWBL represents a lure trolled 300 yards behind the boat.
Young school and school-size bluefin are more willing to strike presentations pulled close to the vessel. Those fish find no issue with biting within the scope of prop wash turbulence, boat wake and engine hum. But as bluefin reach medium to giant proportions, they gradually shift their tolerances when attacking a bait. Presentations trolled an enormous distance from the vessel obtain immensely more strikes than those close up. Those tuna have a distinct preference for “clean” water, which is that without or of minimal manmade wake, noise or disturbance.
Enter the way, way back strategy of trolling for tuna. It’s the result of captains’ understanding of the tunas’ habits.
Trolling Spreads
A captain’s trolling spread is his version of an artist’s masterpiece on a canvas, with rhyme and reason for each lure, bait, bar or ballyhoo ran from the stern or outriggers. I’ve had many tuna-oriented conversations with Tyler Hartensteiner of Tyin’ Knots Charters out of Atlantic City and he’s really invigorated about recent bluefin seasons here in New Jersey. It seems like the inshore and middle grounds bluefin fishing is not just holding steady, but continually improving. That in turn is increasing the number of anglers participating in the fishery, many of whom might be curious about a charter captain’s ideal WWB spread when placing a bullseye on the blue ghosts. “I like to run four lines, two of them at 300 to 350 yards and two at 200 yards,” Capt. Tyler told me.
“Boat traffic is a big part of trolling way back lines and can force you into shortening up if there’s a lot of boats crossing lines,” he said, adding “I’ll shorten up at times when it’s chaotic like on a calm Saturday.” Serenity on the seas couple with weekends equal more boats fishing within close quarters.
Running lines a great distance off the stern is requires a good stagger so the distances are alternated in order to allow for turns without tangles. “I make sure that every other line is a different distance,” noted Capt. Tyler, while adding “Sometimes we have to turn sooner than we’d like because a boat is heading toward the way back lines when fishing in the fleet. That can cause cut-offs which take a lot of time to re-rig, and of course, the loss of line and tackle.”
A spread that allows for better turns also enables captains to make a move on fish that break the surface adjacent to the vessel’s current track. Gradual turning is best, but experienced captains can push the limits toward making sharper pivots toward fish or even birds gathering up. Upon turning with way back lines, the lines may drop slightly and then rise again when the boat straightens out; don’t be surprised if this action provokes a strike. Then again, a poorly orchestrated and overly aggressive turn of a way back line can lead to the terminal tackle daring a bottom snag or even getting struck by a dogfish.
Unfortunately, dogfish can take over some of the ridges and humps that bluefin prefer. They twist up the leader and sometimes cause tangles if not identified when allowed to surf across the spread. To avoid lines that drop significantly, captains must make sure that lines stay taut throughout the turn.
The best mates know exactly how much line is out when they are dumping the reel. Some make marks on the line at each 100 yards with a magic marker. It really helps, but the marker won’t stand up for more than a few trips so it’s tedious process to redo. Others coordinate the amount of line set out with the markings on the reel. Most reel companies provide visuals on the reel so when a certain amount of line is set to sea, a new ring appears from under the spool of line. Understanding precisely how much top shot is attached also is a way to know what length of line is deployed.
Tackle Busters
Capt. Hartensteiner prefers a 200-pound test mainline ran off Penn International 130s that leads to a 200-pound top shot, which then leads to a 200-pound test leader to the lure. “The schools can mix in size and giants can show up with the mediums so it’s important to be prepared,” he told me, while adding “I like the stretch in Momoi line products due to better stretch that helps with tuna fishing.” It’s important to trust all the tackle, from the swivels to the reels and everything in between. Bluefin will expose any weak links; maybe not on the first fish, but rest assured, gear that’s not up to snuff will result in a lost tuna.
On the business end of the line, Capt. Hartensteiner runs ballyhoo on TN-Tackle HooHeads and Magictails Hoo Magic. He also prefers white skirts that can included flash leading to heads in the colors of blue, pink and red. “I generally don’t go outside of using lures that range 1 to 3 ounces and probably like 2 ounces the most. Keep in mind that these will swim higher or lower for each football field of line sent out so it’s important to learn how much line is going out and when the hits take place.”
Many successful tuna captains run the ballyhoo lures in 4 to 8 ounces in order to give another water column a look along with providing a variance in how the lines stagger behind the boat. In addition, going heavier can maybe grab an elusive bite when the day is progressing slowly. “Select horse ballyhoo by Baitmaster is my favorite and I make sure I have enough for trips in consecutive days,” Capt. Hartensteiner added, adding “I never freeze my ballyhoo that thawed from the day before and just start over with a new pack.”
RonZ plastics on one line and ballyhoo on three is a very common and productive tactic when fishing the WWB tactic. One only has to peer at the pictures posted online of bluefin fresh on the deck and it’s easy to observe the RonZ hanging out of the tuna’s mouth or lying beside the fish. Sterling Tackle actually sells pre-rigged RonZ lures on Joe Shute lures for anglers less willing to properly use copper assist wire to adequately tether the plastic on the lure’s hook so it won’t slide inappropriately. Moreover, anglers that don’t want to mess with ballyhoo whatsoever can run an entire spread of RonZ lures on the way back lines. Ballyhoo is certainly the best, but there can be any number of reasons a crew has to head from port with only plastic. And they work when infused into the troll.
Way, way back lines take long enough to deploy let alone crank in. We’re not talking about a cedar plug in the wash here, if you know what I mean. Therefore, anglers should make sure their ballyhoo are running perfectly before sending so far off the stern. The presentation should be submerged and held underwater as the boat travels at trolling speed in order to see if they bally swims true and upright. Upside down or spinning bait is a hard no requiring re-rigging. Ballyhoo swimming on their side isn’t good either, but may grab a strike. Swimming upright is how it’s done right and is the objective of every bait put out. Having confidence that the hoos are tracking correctly is a huge part of becoming a good tuna fisherman.
Innovation & Experimentation
I recently caught with Steve Bruenig from Sterling Tackle, with the successful tackle innovator offering his advice on the spread. “Most guys pull at least two WWB lines line from 200 to 300 yards back,” Bruenig said. “Some use their outrigger tips to keep these baits apart while others are able to fish them straight from the rod tips using a stout pair of outrodders or bent butts,” he noted, while adding “We have found it beneficial to have some designated rods that have a 200 yard monofilament top shot, making it easy to determine the distance.”
“The number one bait presentation, by far, is a single Joe Shute or Joe Shute-style head with a Select Ballyhoo,” Bruenig continued. “In addition to the two single Shute/bally combinations that track near the surface, many of our customers have turned to the Sterling Deep Runner chain to effectively add a 3rd WWB presentation. The Deep Runner is available in a 28- and 48-ounce versions that are designed to use a ballyhoo or Ron Z as the bait of choice on the stinger.” Bruenig said the Deep Runner is often pulled as the center line off the transom since it tracks well down in the water column and doesn’t interfere with the other WWB lines. “We had some excellent reports of very nice bluefin taking the Deep Runner last season and expect the same in 2025,” he added.
Indeed, running a different type lure is often done best straight down the middle. In this case the heavy chain addresses the depths while in other instances anglers might opt for a single cedar plug if they want to stick with a surface approach. Larger vessels might bump a WWB-loaded spread to six or more when outriggers are utilized, but most stay with around four or five. Smaller boats that are becoming increasingly common on the bluefin grounds that come truly close to shore, can get in the game with two or three WWB lines in the spread. I run a 21-foot center console and regularly run three WWB lines. Again, the stagger and properly executed turns are key to everything.
| REGISTER & REPORT |
| In order to recreationally fish for and retain Atlantic highly migratory species, vessel owners must purchase the $26 Highly Migratory Species (HMS) angling permit, which can be done online at hmspermits.noaa.gov. For updated 2025 regulations on bluefin tuna look for the “HMS bag and size limits” link at hmspermits.noaa.gov. |
I also run Penn International 50W reels and have not had a problem with bluefin up to 70 inches on these reels. If a true giant decides to eviscerate the spool, the game plan is to turn and chase in order to mitigate less line capacity. This is definitely not a fool-proof plan and it can fail for a variety of reasons. However, this strategy when employed correctly and without incident is very successful.
The biggest hurdle is getting the other WWB lines in the boat without tangling with the bluefin that’s hooked up. In addition, attempting to keep the proper tension on the hooked fish while changing boat directions can risk a break off. Tricky for sure, but is regularly accomplished, and well worth the effort.
