Category: Europe

Huge tuna problem in Spain for kayak anglers

Well I really enjoy birthday wishes but this one nearly knocked me off my chair! It comes from Marc Hansel, an enthusiastic angler fishing the waters of Spain?!

Happy Birthday Sean,,all the very best to you…Rikki and his 3 brothers are visiting me here in Spain,,They lost 6 giant tunas on live Mackerel..in 3 days, of the Kayak..,We are using Penn slammer 760 ,,,,45 pound line 250 m.. ,Backed with 80 pound braid 300m..with 80 pound leader..we have no chance of landing them..The Tunas I estimate at 150 kg-250kg..or even bigger,,Serious problem they are..any suggestions on Tackle etc?? we see plenty that are around 10-30 kg..but we always hook the monsters

Now, what level fishing problem does that present?! Well it’s a great challenge that’s for sure…one I would love to have!

Ok Marc, best get a two speed 30 at least. The graphite ones are cheaper and more suited to the kayak environment. Plus they are lighter. Stand up rigs work ok on a kayak, I like a slightly longer rod with backbone but a forgiving tip. You can load a 30 with a thousand metres easily if you use 80lb backing for 600 metres, and 400 metres with top line 80lb. You can go 50lb on the 30 because it’s hard to put heaving drag when you on a ski. Even 8kg’s of strike drag will flip your kayak so fast if you not watching. Double up strikes can get very dangerous so don’t put two sticks for fish these sizes. So you set the drag to 8kg’s on strike, and then maximum drag should be up at like 12kg’s. The circle hook (20/0) means you leave the drag slightly on whilst trolling and you get a chance to clear things and brace for the 8kg pull coming up. Wind on leaders are super cool for skis, you just tie the circle hook straight on – no swivel to complicate matters. Go for 400lb, and tie the mackerel on through the eyes with about 6 inches of free swinging waxed string, or whatever you have handy. Just let the tuna swallow the bait and slowly turn up the drag all the way to strike and get stable.

Fighting a fish on a ski with such serious drag is a huge challenge, you will be so super unstable. If the fish shakes it’s head, at that size, as the drag turns on and off, you will be shaking like a leaf in a gale. So you really got to concentrate – and take every precaution beforehand. Lifejacket. Flares. Capsize rope. Tail rope. Flying gaff and rope. Shackles. Drinking water. Comms. Anchor. Capsize container…

It’s best to kind of keep the rod tip near the boat in front of you, so the length of the ski provides the leverage you need to stop a tuna that size. If you let the fish fight you at a right angle, you gonna flip easy. Flipping is not the end of the world, your rod tied to the ski in case of this. If you gonna use a harness, best you tie yourself to the ski. Hatches closed and everything stowed – too easy. Knife attached to you at all times, like in your lifejacket. To cut the line or whatever comes up.

You also got to use the buddy system and stick together. Don’t try this on your own, a tuna this big will tow you to France!

Now , puulleeaase get one of these fish out bru!

The whole world is watching! Take cameras!