How to Fish for Tuna in the Mediterranean

Tuna fishing in the Mediterranean Sea is becoming a serious challenge due to overfishing pressures, primarily from commercial fishing boats. Mediterranean bluefin tuna, especially, is prized for sushi and the demand remains high. Furthermore, significant restrictions have been placed on tuna in the Mediterranean, adding to the difficulty of catching---and keeping---a fish.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Heavy-duty saltwater fishing rod
Baitcasting reel spooled with at least 75-pound test line
Charter boat
Tackle and bait

Step 1

Get out to sea. Hire a charter boat or rent a boat of your own to reach blue water where the big tuna cruise the depths of the Mediterranean. Charter captains may be your best bet because they are familiar with current fishing conditions and the many regulations governing tuna catches in the Mediterranean. If you charter a boat, sail out with a captain who uses outriggers so you can set more lines in the water and increase your chances of catching tuna.

Step 2

Start a chum line before you begin trolling. Chum is a mix of fish blood and guts thrown overboard a few cups at a time to build an oily food slick that attracts tuna.

Step 3

Keep an eye out for birds skimming the sea surface. Predatory birds patrolling over water means that there are baitfish near the surface, and baitfish mean there is an increased chance that big tuna are cruising close by.

Step 4

Rig your lines with large sardines or anchovies of 1/4 to 1/2 pound. If squid are found near schooling tuna, change plans and rig the lines with strips of frozen squid about 6 inches long and one inch wide. Chopped chunks of butterfish will also tempt Mediterranean tuna.

Step 5

Troll through the chum slick with at least two fishing lines off the stern and two lines attached to the outriggers on either side of the boat. Larger boats may be equipped with bigger planners---spreader devices that allow you to troll more lines in the water without entangling them.

Step 6

Wait for the tuna to get a good bite on the bait. Tuna can be finicky eaters and slow to chew. Therefore, when you feel a strike, fight the urge to set the hook immediately. Let your catch chew on the bait for at least five seconds to get a good bite on the hook, then pull up sharply on your rod and prepare for an arm-bruising battle.

Resources

Mediterranean tuna fishing piracy

Article Written By James Clark

James Clark began his career in 1985. He has written about electronics, appliance repair and outdoor topics for a variety of publications and websites. He has more than four years of experience in appliance and electrical repairs. Clark holds a bachelor's degree in political science.

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