Eight tips for new tuna hunters!
One of the things I love doing as a charter captain is putting clients on their first tuna. It is quite a thrill for them when either their first bluefin or yellowfin hits the deck. To see their big smiles and high fives going around and to hear their shouts of joy makes everyone’s day including mine.
Like so many other charter captains, much of how I gauge my success is by what you catch. I fish through you so when you catch, I do too. From my perspective as a charter captain there are several things that will prepare you better for this day and will make you experience more enjoyable and rewarding. Before you venture offshore in the quest for your first tuna, there are a few you will want to take into consideration.
#1 Do Your Homework
Your first tuna charter should be filled with high expectations so do your homework and pick the right charter captain and boat for you. Only pick a captain that has a very good reputation and years of professional experience under his belt. Calling several local tackle shops should steer you in the right direction with several captains to choose from. Don’t rely on the Internet as anyone can make themselves out to be something they are not.
Carefully look at the comfort of the boat also. Are you going to be sitting and snoozing in a salon on the way out and in? Or will you be cramped up in the back of a boat on a bean bag chair getting sprayed on. There will be many different levels of comfort to choose from and higher prices to be paid for the better amenities.
#2 Managing Mal De Mer
Are you prone to getting seasick? If you are prone to getting queasy off the coast, even the least bit, I would say going offshore is not for you. You will need to pass on the trip. Being 30 to 60 miles offshore is no fun when you are nauseous and not feeling well and if it happens on my boat it will end your trip. I do not keep clients offshore when they get sick as medical complications can occur and your well-being is more important to me than any else. Unfortunately you will still need to pay for the entire trip and tip the mate his 20%.
Ask your captain what the seas and weather will be like the day of your trip. How it will start out and how it will end. The morning can start out calm but the wind can come up by midday and change the seas quickly. Make your decision based on this information for the entire day. If you don’t know if you get seaside or if you have kids with you for the first time a good gauge to determine sea sickness is how you or they do on amusement park rides. If jarring and turning gets you nauseous then this motion in the boat will do the same. Dress appropriately to adapt to changing weather, always bring rain gear, and waterproof boots. The boat is not the beach so leave the flip flops home but bring sunscreen, a hat, and polarized sunglasses. Your medical condition is also very important so if you have a bad back, knees, or hips then going offshore is not for you.
#3 Know Your Target
Check with your captain as to the species and size of the tuna you will be catching. Will it be bluefin, yellowfin, longfin, or bigeye? Will they be 30 to 60 pounds, 60 to 100 pounds, 100 to 150 pounds, or over 150 pounds? Get your answer, and then watch and study YouTube videos of how these tunas are fought. There is no reason to watch video of giants being caught when your tuna will be in the 60- to 100-pound range. If it looks like it’s too hard for you or you don’t think have the strength to do it, you probably don’t. Let the captain know this in advance. However you’re probably not telling him something he doesn’t already know; a good captain can just look at you and know what your rod capabilities are. This will determine your time on the rod when a tuna is hooked. By doing a little video prep, some techniques can be understood and become part of your memory to a degree. When it’s your turn to fight a tuna any little bit of applying the correct technique will help.
Also check with the captain as to the method you will be using to catch your tuna. Will it be trolling, jigging, chunking, or casting as each will use different rods and technique. Concentrate on these specific types of videos. Also read up on the nature and behavior of your targeted tuna. Learning about your targeted species will have you more engaged as you hunt for your tuna.
#4 Nature’s Call
When you book your trip you might want to ask about the bathroom accommodations as 12 to 14 hours on the water makes for a long day. Most center consoles do not have a private head, so over the rail or in a bucket are your only options. If you normally take a diuretic pill or drink coffee in the morning you may want to skip it on the day of your trip.
As with most anything strenuous, just be sure to check with your doctor first on any prescription medications that you take and may be planning to skip on the day of your trip.
#5 Listen & Learn
Be sure to pay close attention to what your captain and mate say. A good mate and captain are a cohesive unit that work together like a well-oiled machine to put more fish on the deck for you. A mate is more than just someone who cleans fish, cleans the boat, sets up rods, and stows equipment; a good mate is friendly first and a coach who can get you pumped up about catching fish.
On the way out to the tuna grounds your captain and mate should teach and explain to you what to expect for the day. They should talk about the nature of your tuna you are targeting, their behavior their habitat, migration, feeding behaviors, fighting ability, and preparation for the table. They will also explain all the signs of life that we are looking for to pinpoint where the tuna are. They should then explain the techniques that they will be going to use whether it be trolling, jigging, casting, or popping. When you arrive on the grounds if it is not an all-out melee the mate will take time to demonstrate the fishing techniques and then coach you through the specific technique.
#6 The Fight
When you are fighting your first tuna listen to your mate as he or she will coach you through it. My mate Elio Scarpa says, “One of the most important things a client can do when fighting their first tuna is to stay calm and listen to me.” When the fight becomes a struggle it will be time to give up and pass the rod. For sure your mate will tell you when this time has arrived.
Fighting tuna takes technique, strength, and stamina. The end of the fight is usually the hardest part, when you are most vulnerable to losing the fish. No one likes to lose a tuna, especially the captain. Be prepared and ready to pass the rod. After you take a break and regain some energy you can give it another shot.
#7 Tip Your Mate
As I mentioned a good mate is invaluable so be prepared to tip the mate appropriately. A 20% tip is the norm but a few extra bucks is always appreciated. Most day tuna charters will cost a minimum of $3,000 so 20% would be an additional $600 for the tip. If you are not prepared to tip what is expected then I would say don’t book the charter. If my clients don’t tip my mate accordingly then personally I would rather not rebook them.
Keep in mind also that you may not catch anything on your trip. This doesn’t mean that the mate gets tipped less. In fact if you are not catching, the captain and mate are probably working even harder to try to get you that bite.
#8 Pictures & Video
| HMS PERMIT |
| 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. And if you’re new to the HMS game, keep in mind that accurate reporting is required; when NOAA Fisheries has the most up-to-date data on tuna catches in the U.S. our advisors and representatives have more ammunition at the international level to lobby for additional quota. |
Take photos or video clips of your trip from beginning to end as this will capture the essence of your entire experience, but don’t be getting in the way. Let the captain and mate do what they need to do. Besides the fishing photos or video take pictures of the boat and any marine life that may show up. You can expect to see humpback or finback whales, short beak dolphin, sea turtles, an array of birds such as shearwaters or tuna chicks, and possible even catch a major feeding blitz.
Hopefully by taking all these little tips into consideration you have set yourself up for a thrilling and rewarding first tuna chartering experience. Something that you can look back on and will want to do again.
