Last year I bought the new boat and all the equip. to troll and got going on the offshore thing. Everyone was talking about the planer rod, so I got one and of course, I have not caught a fish on it yet! Then you couldn't catch a tuna w/o a kite. Have not gone there yet, but considering it. Now, if you don't sit on a wreck w/ a $700 spinning reel in your hand your chances of catching are reduced again. Has it always been this tough to do the tuna thing? Do any of you believe the tuna numbers are way down? Just wondering out loud if anyone is seeing a new trend developing in tuna fishing.

it dosent have to be $700 set up
and welcome to the world of fishing

I don't know if tuna numbers are down or they are just somewhere else. I think there are times when the bait is deep so they don't need to surface feed. I think to increase your odds of being successful on any given day, we are going to need a variety in our arsenal of weapons. Yea getting them to hit on the surface is way cool but if they are happy feeding down deep, they won't waist their energy going to the surface. I think this is where jigging comes in. I think at times chunking can be the ticket. At times the planer rod gets to deep enough. I know one thing....I can't afford to have everything in every color on board. If gas gets much worse, I will have to cut back on the # of trips and make smart tackle purchases just to have enough for trips. I have a few jigs yes. I have some reels I can jig with...a pair of torsa 30s with braid. I don't have a planer rod but do have a downrigger. I am going to be prepared for chunking this year, particularly at night. I'm still optimistic we will have a decent tuna season but only time will tell. I think what is going to help is if we all share as much information as possible when we have a successful trip. Me, I'll tell you everything down to the size crimp and hook if needed. Good hunting.

Well let me add my two cents....I have said it before that the tuna numbers are greater where there is more bait and I belive that when you have 300 boats slinging chunks in the water that the tuna never have to leave the area to find a meal...that is why New jersey has some of the best tuna fishing going. It is not uncommon to see the Hudson canyon look like a city at night. I would love to see a small fleet in our canyons at night throwing bait..it would work wonders. Again just my two cents. Dale

I don't know Dale....I kinda like it when it's just you and me at the Norfolk Canyon at night.

Yeah Mike...I know what ya mean. The Canyon at night is my all time favorite!!!

We fished out of OI in Dec. and a guy was chunking while we were trolling and he did really well and it was daylight. I'm wondering if we had a group of boats w/ alot of bait like Twokeys said and maybe we could get 'em in the daylight too? I'd be willing to try it if we could get a group.

Yes, I have seen many fished raised on the chunk during the daylight....and it seems to work better in the fall. Dale

I think to be really successful all the time, you have to be ready to change your game. Some days trolling works, others, jigging and still others on the chunk. The key to all fishing is to find out what the fish want, be willing to change baits and tactics and the fish will come.

I have chunked out of Wachapreage on the hills anchored up with success. Where would one do it out of OI? I am assuming you would drift with your chunking right?

I would think you would have the best luck chunking on the west side of the point up to and around the Tuna Hole always west of the shelf anything east of the point has way to much current to keep a good chunk line going just my observations. Conch