Bluefin Tuna Kite Fishing Techniques

There are several variations of kites on the market. Some which fly with relative ease, while others prove more challenging to get a handle on. We have had success using Boston Big Game kites, in addition to Power Chute and Mega Mouth fishing kites. Obviously kites need wind to operate, and the more breeze there is, the easier it will probably be to get your kite flying high. However, making a few modest adjustments in gear can make a big difference in how your kite will perform in windy, as well as calm conditions.

Utilizing a kite rod and reel spooled with 100 pound braided line has a few distinct advantages over a reel spooled with dacron. Braided line isn’t going to allow any stretch, while also providing more line strength with less line diameter. Essentially this means that the kite attached to braid will lift less weight compared to the kite linked to dacron. The extra strength provided by braid will even help ward against snapping off a kite in breezy conditions.

Loading your 50, 80 or 130 class reel with braided line can help to make kite fishing more potent and efficient. A reel packed with 2oo pound dacron can still be fished with a kite, however the bulky dacron (when compared to the thin diameter of braid) can make it trickier to fish with a kite during light and variable wind conditions.

When we first began fishing kites we employed simple, run of the mill kite clips. Now, with a year of experience under our belts, we found that using kite clips with rollers makes life easier. The rollers enable the main line coming from our 80 and 130 class reels to slip very easily through the clips with less resistance. This helps keep our baits positioned happily on the water’s surface, rather than dangling in mid air-due to the friction produced by non-roller kite clips.

Employing an elastic bridle to rig live baits will help to minimize injury to the bait. This is very important because live pogies, mackerel and bluefish often require a considerable amount of time and energy to acquire. It is important to keep the baits alive and frisky. As a substitute for traditionally hooking a bait through the top of the back or through the snout, a bridle permits an elastic to be threaded through the bait-much like stitches through skin. This way the opening pierced through the bait is significantly smaller than that produced by traditionally hooking the bait. The bait will swim long and with more vigor because of this small alteration in technique.

Braided drop lines also ought to be part of an angler’s kite fishing arsenal. Drop lines run from the ball bearing swivels, that are spaced throughout the kite reel’s braided line, down towards the ocean’s surface. The length of these lines may need to be changed depending on wind conditions. Affix a roller kite clip to the tag end of the drop line. Your main running line will pass through the roller kite clip. Drop lines allow your main line to remain closer to the water’s surface, instead of towering high in the sky.

Captain Ryan Collins fishes for striped bass and Bluefin tuna off Cape Cod, MA. Visit his blog, myfishingcapecod.com for insider tips about trolling for striped bass and giant tuna.