Tuna Fishing - Giant Bluefin in Nova Scotia

The Journey to Nova Scotia

In The Spread traveled to Ballantyne’s Cove, Nova Scotia, for an opportunity to learn the offshore fishing tactics required to tangle with the toughest fish in the sea. Host RJ Boyle picks the brain of big game legend Andy Moyes, so you will be more knowledgeable.

The Battle with the Giant

When giant bluefin tuna fishing, you begin to reconsider whether you have really fought tough fish? Prepare to have your arms stretched and your back strained because nothing pulls like the GIANT bluefin tuna. Trying to stop one of these behemoths is like trying to stop a runaway dump truck with no brakes going downhill. Good luck!

Deep Dive into Tuna Fishing

With this instructional fishing video, you will get deep insight on custom rods, rigs, hooks, and baits that are used by these tuna fishing aficionados. Andy Moyes is a humble, deep-thinking big game fisherman. He will discuss how to bait these hogs, how to sight feed individual fish, how to hook them, and how to stay connected. It’s all here and more…RJ Boyle asks the hard-hitting questions and provides the answers on how to catch giant bluefin tuna.

The Nova Scotia Bluefin Fishery

The giant bluefin tuna fishery in Nova Scotia is really unique for big game fishing. The water is not deep, so the tuna do not dive they run and they run. The style and techniques used here are also dissimilar to those used in some of the more well-publicized bluefin fisheries in the states. Even though the fishing may be unique to Nova Scotia, take away the techniques and knowledge that you could apply elsewhere.

Andy Moyes's Techniques

You will see how Andy targets bluefin tuna in two different scenarios. The first involves fishing around herring boats. You will learn about how to avoid the nets, creating a chum stream, baiting the fish, how to mimic the natural fall of bait through the water using dead bait. The second deals with drifting live baits throughout the water column to target fish. You will see how to utilize kite fishing techniques, suspending bait with floats and dropping baits deeper. Find out how tides impact the tuna's feeding habits.

Tackle and Gear

When dealing with giant fish, you need to consider what is the most suitable tackle to minimize the time you fight the fish. This is heavy-duty fishing. The 130 lb reels all have upgraded bearings, gears, drag, and cams. These are high tolerance reels. The rods start as line handler poles. Lift is paramount. The blank is an unlimited 180 for max durability. But, whatever works for you is fine. The bluefin tuna rig has evolved over time and you will see how to assemble two different rigs. One is rather complicated and the other is the simplified version. The hooks and all the connections are discussed in detail.

Final Thoughts