Tuna stand up style...

[tiggere]

Ok guys before you say I am crazy...don't...I already know that much...I am looking for a good stand up setup that won't break the bank...doesn't weigh a ton and able catch some large bluefins off the NC coast...but be comfortable enough to catch yellowfins/blackfins this spring also...

I have never done it but was informed that if I went with anything lighter than 130's I was wasting my time...I am under the assumption it can be done with 50 wides spooled with braid and a top shot...on a 50/100# class rod...now granted I said stand up for a reason...there is no chair in the boat...so we are creating a strap system to hook to the stand up harness which in turn hooks us to the boat...thereby not allowing the rod holder anywhere near the edge of the boat at anytime...but allows the other person free roaming capabilities all the way around the angler...angler in this case refers to the sucker attached to the rod...

The boat is a 23 Grady White which leads to my next question...without a rear door how the hell do you drag a 500# fish over the side of the boat...I have been told it can be done...but am open to all the advice you guys care to give...I have arranged with a couple boats to go with them on their commercial trips to reel in the fish and learn all I can about setting out the speads and such but would also like to hear from others...

Oh and yes I do believe this is my first post but I have been a lurker for quite awhile now...thanks in advance...

[birdhunter]

Screw the stand-up! Do yourself a favor and get a pair of 80s or 130s on bent butts and fight them from the gunnell. Just install a couple of swivel base rod holders ond let Rodney do the work. That is the way we fight ours and trust me it is the easiest way and the best for the fish no matter if you are killing it or releasing it. As for getting it in the boat we attach a come along to the hard top of our 24 Grady and winch him over the transom. Notice the rods in the swivel base rod holders in this picture.

[Tuna Taxi]

I second the recommendation to use a swivel rod holder to fight the fish. But if you want to fish stand-up, match the rod to the drag you intend to use on the reel. No sense buying a broomstick then using 25# drag with it. If you're a decent size guy, I'd go with an 80, or 50LRS loaded with braid, and a stand-up rod in the 50-130 class. It's really a matter of how much drag you think you can handle stand-up on a moving boat (and a 23' will move on you a bit). You'll probably have to chase it or you will come close to getting spooled, but that's part of the fun of stand-up fishing. If it were me, I'd go with a Tiagra 50LRS, loaded with braid, on a Calstar stand-up rod, 50-130. That is a bad-ass combo, and can handle some very big fish if you know what you're doing. If you can't bring him in with that, you don't want to be hooked to it stand-up, IMO.

[paul708]

i just put this together for GIANT standup, this is a special blank, cut tip and butt....ready to Rock and roll, also have a great gunnell rod for 80 and 130

[Glenn W]

There is one big problem with using light stand-up gear (50-80lb) tey don't tell you about in those magazine articles you read at home--- let's say you have a 50 wide loaded with 2 miles of braid: now in your little pocket rocket you will be limited to fairly calm days, so everyone and his broter will be out tere chasing the fins. So now a Giant eats your worm and before you can get your oter lines in there is 500 yards of line out, then wen tou get all strapped into your Nascar restaint system, there is 800 yds of line out. Tis is in an area wit 200 other boats. So now you get to back down or manuver to get some line back and your string in strung from one end of the fleet to another. Next you get to spend 4 hours on this standup rig pissing off everyone in the fleet.
If you are going to using light gear on these brutes, please stay away from those that know what they are doing.

[paul708]

There is one big problem with using light stand-up gear (50-80lb) tey don't tell you about in those magazine articles you read at home--- let's say you have a 50 wide loaded with 2 miles of braid: now in your little pocket rocket you will be limited to fairly calm days, so everyone and his broter will be out tere chasing the fins. So now a Giant eats your worm and before you can get your oter lines in there is 500 yards of line out, then wen tou get all strapped into your Nascar restaint system, there is 800 yds of line out. Tis is in an area wit 200 other boats. So now you get to back down or manuver to get some line back and your string in strung from one end of the fleet to another. Next you get to spend 4 hours on this standup rig pissing off everyone in the fleet.
If you are going to using light gear on these brutes, please stay away from those that know what they are doing.

totally, agree..the rods i designed and built are NOT TOYS, these are serious Giant killers, i could not even think about 50-80# for these fish ..

[shoefish]

Let me first start out by saying that I am no expert, so by no means do I know everything, but a couple things made me worry a bit about your post, especially when you said that you've never done it.

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but these fish are no joke. They can put a hurting on you quick, and can do even worse to someone who doesn't have experience with them. Just ask anyone about the "didn't come home" stories when it comes to fighting these fish and it will scare the crap out of you.

The first thing that I see that you are puting yourself in danger is how you said you are rigging up a system to strap the harness to the boat. This is a very bad idea. If anything was to happen to the angler- slip on the deck, lose balance on a wave, have the reel lock up, etc- and they were to go overboard, they would be trapped underwater as the tether would go from the boat to the angler and then the pressure of the fish would hold them underwater. Never tether the harness to the boat. Rather, you should have a safety line to the reel. That way if the angler gets pulled over, all he will need to do is unclip from the reel and swim free.

Should you get one, be very careful with bringing a 500# fish over the gunwale of the boat- small boats capsize from this.

Again, I'm not trying to be a jerk or come off like I know it all because I certainly don't, just trying to tell you a couple things that could keep a day from going to shit in a hurry.

Assuming that you are set on stand-up, I will tell you that it will be a battle royale, but it can absolutely be done. I did it two years ago on an accurate 50w, and it is something that I will never forget. The fish beat the hell out of me, and we almost lost it a couple of times, but I think back on the memory and smile all the time. My set up was the Accurate spooled with 130# Jerry Brown spectra and a top shot of flouro. If I was to do it again, I'd probably spool it with 200# JB this time.

Good luck, and make sure to bring a camera and take pictures when you get your slob!

[hotrodmarlin]

If you're in NC a 2 speed 50 is fine just stay on top of the fish. I've caught a bunch on 50's including a 500# on a TLD 50. Make sure you have the right belt and harness and like Shoe said SAFETY STRAP TO THE REEL!
You can support the hard top with 2x4's for winching big fish in the boat but anything under 300 can easily be hoisted over the side with 2-3 guys.
I agree 100% with Glenn to Stay out of everybody's way- but don't let them push you around either.

Go for it- the only way to gain experience is to do it.

[austin ensor]

dont drag it over put ur 8in flying gaff hook through his head and put other ropes on his tail and were every u can get one and tow it in make sure its face tail to u we do this with huge sharks on oue 23 foot parker tie it off to a cheat!!!

[Glenn W]

Hotrod, I don't doubt for a minute tat one can catc a Giat on a TLD50, but then again, a .22 can bring down a bull elepant too. I think what is so ard for people not used to this fishery to understand is the tight quarters the fleet is ussually fishing in.
I hope Sea Dragon chimes in as I was out commercial fishing last year when he hooked into a slob on a 50. Now, Jim is experienced and knows what he is doing and he was all over the fleet for the better part of the day. This was a weekday as I recall and not a big fleet of boats fishing that day. I remember is was a very slow day so there were not any other boats also manuvering to catch fish. It would have been ugly if Jim wasn't experienced and if there was a decent bite going on.
What ever you do, please respect these fish, They are flat out mean--- maybe not a 70 incher, but hang into one bigger than 80" and you are in for a hell of a tug. Keep knife (sissors) at the transome and something on your body to cut the line if need be.