Search and Ready for Bluefin Tuna Casting
- Notes: The “search and ready” technique consists of cruising around at 15 knots or so looking for either targets or better signs.
- When: You’ll typically be running in an area where fish have been popping up for long intervals but with long time spans over a wide area. You get the advantage of have the boat at cruising speed so no time is lost while ramping up with noisy RPM changes. Search and ready also allows you to cover a much wider area than troll scanning.
- How: Search and ready anglers are holding rods and ready so there are no delays when it’s go time. You always have at least one angler with eyes glued to the fish finder while all others are glued to the water looking for boils, subtle water pushes and v-wakes that may be actual tuna. Of course, you are looking for breaking fish and crazy birds, too! This is a good technique as you cover some ground allowing you to find tuna on your fish finder. And if you do, you can immediately stop to cast or jig.
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- Pros: Covering a lot of ground, enhanced ability to scan the surface for breaking fish or suspended fish, reduces reaction time
- Cons: Boat noise, less time spent with lures in the water
Be sure to keep eyes glued on the fish finder. Even if you are focused with top water action, deep fish on the finder are great places to cast. Tuna have great eyesight and will come from great depths to smash a lure. Also, keep in mind, you are only seeing what is under the boat. There’s a meaningful chance there are others in the immediate area.
