Bigeye Tuna

Tips For Catching A Fish That Makes Your Crazy Ex Seem Calm

(Originally published January/February 2023)

By Capts. Cody and RJ Melton

Bigeye tuna, the most sought after pelagic fish in the Northeast. The sheer mass, crazy ex-girlfriend attitude of these animals can make for some pretty epic battles. Strictly targeting these fish can be a maddening game of “should have been here 5 minutes ago”, “should have had that one”, “plug out with the clown paint job instead of the red-headed (you know) color”, “should have been trolling north instead of south”. Whatever it may be, you can be certain you are not going to get the bite 100 percent of the time. No fisherman does. It is no secret that any captain worth their salt will tell you is that being able to capitalize on your bites is what will separate you from the average.

There are so many factors that are out of our control when we are targeting bigeye. On board, our vessel, our main point of focus to control the variables of which we in fact can control. The biggest variable in question that is within our control is our tackle. Leaders, top shots, crimps, and hooks are certainly at the top of the list as maintenance items go.