Kilsong, what weight jig is that? I find it difficult to buy the right jigs because of all the choices and weights so I basically look for what works for others and copy them

 

ikross,
If you fish in Gulf of Mexico, you need casting for jigging.
I have success by casting far from the boat as yft were cruising outside of lights of the boat when I fished on the Big E. After casting, I count 5 - 10, and start jigging.

 

ikross,
If you just want to drop jig, you should use color coded line instead of counting.
I caught over 1000 tuna on jigs with color coded line for two decades.
Many times yft swim at the same depth. When i hook up a tuna, I always check the depth and drop jigs a the same depth for another tuna.

Blackfin are different. They are all over. I try to avoid blackfin when I fish Gulf of Mexico.

 

If you are comfortable with what you use, that is fine.
I just want to help other fishermen based on my tuna jigging experience.
One of my advice is not to fish deep for yft.
I got a yft at the bottom of canyon, but mostly they stay not deeper than 250 ft where ever you go including Gulf of Mexico.

 

ikross,
Opinions vary. I am entitled to give my opinion based on my experiences.
I used to fish Gulf of Mexico every year out of Venice, LA or Texas and I caught yft on jigs most of time. If my post offend you, I apologize for it.
I made trial/errors while jigging tuna over 30 years and I like help others not to repeat my kind of errors.

 

Mr Kilsong . You quoted this on another forum.
"When I fish Gulf Mexico around oil rigs, I observed that fishermen fish too deep for yft while yft crash on top outside of boats lights".

Could you be so kind to explain whats your suggestion , advice ?
Thank.you.

I cast far with 8' rod and start to jig after counting 5 - 10 or without count. I never drop my jigs deeper than 200 ft for yft. Sometimes I jig slowly to avoid blackfin attack.

 

You can use spinning rods for casting. When yft crush outskirt of boat lights, it means yft are around the boat. Even you don't cast, yft are under the boat, but not deep.
Bright lights of oil rigs, attract bait and bait attract tuna. Bait are not deep an so yft are.
I fished yft all around the world and the behavior is same including Gulf of Mexico.
In fact, I fish shallower in Gulf of Mexico than in other areas.
Tuna marks you get in deep could be blackfin.
I'd like to know how many yft you got on jigs in deeper water.

 

How deep do you fish for yft with bait ?
Stay in 80 ft - 200 ft for yft. Your yft catch will be doubled.

 

Whether you jig or use bait, you fish where fish are.
So I'd like to know how deep you fish with bait for yellowfin.

 

So you drop your bait to 350 ft. Good luck.
Bigeye are different. They usually stay deep. We normally catch them on jigs in 200 ft - 300 ft deep though we catch them shallower sometimes.

 

VERY helpful advice, especially the half-hitches.

Thank you.

 

Waste of time IMO

 

Keep the ideas coming Kil

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk

 

ksong,

I see the marks are half-hitches going the same direction (as it makes the spiral), but how do you start the half hitches and what knot do you use to finish? Do you use serving? I'd like to avoid using super-glue and am concerned about the knots coming untied/loose after repeated trips through the guides.

Thank you in advance.

 

ksong,

I see the marks are half-hitches going the same direction (as it makes the spiral), but how do you start the half hitches and what knot do you use to finish? Do you use serving? I'd like to avoid using super-glue and am concerned about the knots coming untied/loose after repeated trips through the guides.

Thank you in advance.

I start with half hitch and end with half hitch. And I put super glue on it.
You can finish the mark with any knot you want. I find putting glue protect the mark going through guides. But I didn't use glue at all last year and I didn't have any issue. Manny tuna jig fishermen on the East Coast start to mark the line with the concept and they all like it.

 

first off i use Jb white hollow
i have marked mine with a black permanent marker
at 50 feet marks
50 feet it gets 4 marks about 4inch then at 100 gets about 4 feet long marks
50 stays same but at 200 gets 2 marks about 4 feet long and 300 gets 3 marks
makes for fast references dropping down

 

after a few trips,,,salt crystals will bled out the marker...

 

it dos but still see them good enf to still use the marks
plus ant nothing to remark them to markers cheap

 

Pic of 200 ft. marks:



I look forward to testing them out tomorrow night.

Thank you.

 

Good luck tomorrow. It's been tested for several years without any issue.
You never learn anything if you don't try with positive attitude.
You don't even feel when the marking knot go through guides. You got to watch it closely or use your hands to feel it.
I am one of the first guy who used color coded Japanese line for tuna jigging in the US. I am positive that the line marking with half hitch knots is much better than using color coded lines.

 

Bumpy....Murphys law ! GL with those knots going thru your guides .

 

Good Luck with that !

 

This worked excellent! No yft : (, but the bfts were between 150 and 200 : ) and this helped me box more fish, by keeping me in the zone, in the dark.



My heavy jigging set-up is an Accurate/400 OBX conventional with 80lb. JB and I used a scrap of old 50 lb. PowerPro to make the marks (no glue). I did not find it too "bumpy" and I found myself using the tip of my right index finger on the spool to "feel" the marks on the drop and kept my right thumb on the main lever arm. It may not work for everyone, in all applications, but it worked for me.

Thank you for the tip!

 

go deeper ...you'll find the yft there :ac550:

 

Glad it worked for you.
Yellow fin/bigeye jigging bites are getting hot at canyons on the East Coast now.
We usually jig for yft in 100 ft - 150ft, not deeper than 200 ft.
I plan to go to canyon next week and I will post pictures of tuna on jigs.

 

I don't think nook last long here like other his usernames.
Some just like to be a spoiler.

 

Lol.....so you can't say your opinion ? So far it's a respectable debate ....unless you have to agree to or bow to what a sponsor is preaching .
Actually , if he goes deeper he might find yft . GL