Picking the best trolling lures for tuna is usually the difference between a bloody deck and a long, quiet boat ride home. If you've spent any time offshore, you know tuna are some of the most frustratingly smart yet aggressively hungry predators in the ocean. One minute they're crashing everything in sight, and the next, they're snubbing their noses at every expensive piece of plastic you toss behind the boat.
Over the years, I've realized that while there are thousands of lures on the market, you really only need a handful of reliable styles to cover your bases. Whether you're chasing schoolie Yellowfins or hunting for a giant Bluefin, your spread needs to look like a confused, panicked buffet. Let's get into what actually works when you're out on the blue water.
The Timeless Appeal of Cedar Plugs
It's funny how much money we spend on high-tech, laser-etched, holographic lures when one of the best trolling lures for tuna is literally just a shaped piece of wood. The classic cedar plug has probably put more tuna in the cooler than almost anything else.
There's something about the way a cedar plug darts and wanders under the surface that tuna just can't resist. When it's soaked in saltwater, it gains a little weight and develops an erratic action that perfectly mimics a fleeing baitfish. I usually run a natural cedar finish right down the center, way back in the "shotgun" position. If the fish are being picky, I'll swap to a white and red or a purple and black version. It doesn't look like much to the human eye, but at 6 or 7 knots, it's a dinner bell for hungry Yellowfin.
Skirted Lures and Why They Matter
When most people think of offshore trolling, they picture those colorful, streaming skirted lures jumping in the wake. These are the workhorses of any tuna spread. The key here isn't just the color; it's the head shape.
A "pusher" or "konatour" style head creates a lot of surface commotion and a long bubble trail. Tuna are highly visual hunters, but they also react to the vibration and "smoke" a lure leaves behind. For Tuna, I'm a big fan of medium-sized skirts in the 6 to 9-inch range.
If you're wondering about colors, "mean joe green" (green and black), purple and black, and the classic blue and white are staples for a reason. On bright, sunny days, go for the lighter, more reflective colors. If it's overcast or early morning, those darker silhouettes like purple or black show up much better from underneath.
Deep Diving Plugs for When They're Down Deep
Sometimes the tuna aren't interested in what's happening on the surface. Maybe the sun is too high, or the bait is holding deeper. That's when you need to reach for something like a Rapala X-Rap Magnum or a similar deep-diving hard bait.
These are some of the best trolling lures for tuna because they allow you to cover a different part of the water column. These lures can track straight at high speeds—sometimes up to 12 knots depending on the model—and they dive deep without needing a downrigger or a heavy lead weight.
One thing to watch out for with these is the hooks. Tuna are incredibly powerful, and a big Bluefin will straighten out a cheap factory hook in seconds. If you're buying these off the shelf, it's often worth swapping the trebles for heavy-duty single hooks. It makes the lure run better and makes it way easier to unhook the fish once you get it to the boat.
The Chaos of Daisy Chains and Spreader Bars
If you want to trigger a tuna's competitive nature, you have to show them a school of bait, not just a lone straggler. This is where spreader bars and daisy chains come into play. A spreader bar creates a massive "footprint" in the water, making it look like a whole ball of squid or frantic baitfish are moving through.
The "stinger" lure—the one at the very back with the hook in it—is usually a different color or slightly larger than the rest of the lures on the bar. This makes it look like the weak or injured fish falling behind the pack. It's an easy target.
While spreader bars can be a bit of a pain to rig and clear when a fish is on, their effectiveness is hard to argue with. If I'm trolling in an area where I know there's fish but I'm not getting bites, a blue or pink squid spreader bar is usually the first thing I throw out to wake things up.
Matching the Hatch: Size and Profile
We always talk about color, but size and profile are arguably more important. If the tuna are feeding on tiny "rain bait" or small anchovies, pulling a massive 12-inch lure is a waste of time. They'll swim right past it to eat the small stuff.
Keep a variety of sizes in your tackle box. Sometimes, the best trolling lures for tuna are the smallest ones in your bag. Small 4-inch feathers or "feathers" as we call them, are deadly when tuna are keyed in on small bait. On the flip side, if there are big flying fish or skipjack around, don't be afraid to go big. Watching a tuna launch itself out of the water to crush a large surface lure is one of the coolest sights in fishing.
Speed and Presentation Tips
You can have the best lures in the world, but if you're pulling them at the wrong speed, they're just expensive pieces of plastic. Generally, tuna like it fast. Most guys troll between 6 and 9 knots.
The goal is to have your lures swimming correctly. Your skirted lures should be "breathing"—coming to the surface to grab a gulp of air, then diving back down with a trail of bubbles. If they're just tumbling or spinning, you're going too fast or your rigging is off.
Also, don't just troll in a straight line. Making wide S-turns causes the lures on the inside of the turn to sink and slow down, while the ones on the outside speed up and rise. This change in rhythm often triggers a strike from a tuna that's been following the spread but was hesitant to commit.
Rigging for Success
Let's talk about leaders for a second. Tuna have incredible eyesight. While they might hit a lure rigged on heavy wire when they're in a frenzy, usually, you want to use fluorocarbon. It's nearly invisible underwater and much more abrasion-resistant than standard monofilament.
I typically use 80 to 150-pound test fluorocarbon depending on the size of the fish I'm expecting. If the bite is "clicky" (meaning the fish are shy), dropping down to a lighter leader can sometimes get you more bites, though you run the risk of a long fight breaking the line. It's always a bit of a gamble.
Final Thoughts on Tuna Lures
At the end of the day, finding the best trolling lures for tuna is about being observant. Look at what the birds are doing, watch your fish finder, and keep an eye on what the tuna are spitting up when you get them on the deck. If they're full of tiny squid, put on something small and pink. If they're eating mackerel, go with something bigger and silver.
The ocean is always changing, and what worked yesterday might not work today. Keep your spread organized, don't be afraid to swap lures out if they aren't producing, and most importantly, keep your hooks sharp. Tuna have tough mouths, and you don't want to lose the fish of a lifetime because you were too lazy to check your points.
Get your lines in the water, keep your eyes on the wake, and get ready for that reel to start screaming. There's nothing quite like it.