Keep the chunks flowing and, eventually, yellowfin tuna should take the bait.

You should make it a point to bring a variety of rods, reels and gear when rig trippin’. Catching live bait like blue runners and bonito is a great way to mix up your trolling spreads and many boats will work a kite into the action with a hefty runner under it. If you’ve never caught bait on a rig, you’ll be surprised at their size. It’s not uncommon for a runner to weigh 2 or 3 pounds or more and their average size is 12 to 18 inches. Light tackle needs to be upgraded to medium tackle to make short work of these baits.

In addition to conventional skirted trolling lures, make sure that you add some tremblers and lipped plugs to your arsenal. Quality lipped plugs will troll and run true at 8 knots and better, and will often produce when surface-running baits will not. Wahoo, dolphin and tuna will demolish these baits when given the chance and last year a white marlin was caught off the Panhandle on a Yo-Zuri Bonita. It pays to mix in a skirted ballyhoo with your naked baits and some local boats are getting awfully good at bait-and-switching picky billfish. Have a naked ballyhoo rigged to a heavy spinning outfit and small billfish like whites might just make your day.

Panhandle anglers making the trip southwest will find 30- and 50-pound-class tackle sufficient for most trolling needs, but it can’t hurt to pack an 80 or two. Tuna will often approach and surpass the 200-pound mark and every member of the billfish family will be nearby. Last year during the Pensacola Big Game Club International Billfish Tournament in July, several bluefin tuna were hooked up. Notice I said hooked up.

There are some real bluewater brutes roaming the Gulf and they do like these structures that foster a haven for fish that is otherwise unavailable. Panhandle enthusiasts, both recreational and tournament fishermen alike, will be found lurking around these structures year-round. Now some folks will say that you don’t have to run west to find plenty of action, and I’m sure that the folks who are fishing at the Spur and Nipple will both agree and be glad you’re not crowding them. But as speeds and capabilities of boats increase and we continue pushing the edges of our fishing grounds, the possibilities keep changing.

Whether you want to target bluewater fish or make a fall run to b­rawl with mackerel, head west young fisherman. You’ll be rewarded.

FS