Close attention to the gear used by successful veteran anglers will guide in making the correct choice of equipment when buying your own. Do not be afraid to ask the advice of skippers and crew members. Two common hook types are suitable for any live bait fishing from rockfish to tuna. For anchovy baits it is sometimes necessary to use hooks as small as size 6, although a size 4 usually suffices to catch spooky critters such as yellowtail and bluefin tuna. It is well worth the effort for anglers to spend a short time learning to tie the three basic knots useful for rigging fishing tackle.
None are difficult to tie and all can be mastered with a little practice.
See the illustrations. Trolling is done to locate tuna schools in offshore waters. Casting jigs are used from anchored or drifting boats for yellowtail, bonito, barracuda and occasionally for tuna. Feather jigs, cedar plugs and Rapala-type lures all work well for tuna and albacore trolling. Metal casting jigs are deadly for barracuda and sometimes for yellowtail and tuna.