It is time to catch big blackfin tuna along the Florida coast. There are three approaches to this.
No matter what method you use, there are some things that stay the same. As far as water depth is concerned, most action will take place between 75 and 250 feet of water. The water does not need to be blue, but clear is best. A moving current will almost always help turn on the bite. Low light is a major advantage. Very early morning, very late afternoon and cloudy days make fishing much better. Pre-sunrise and post-sunset light can be best.
Now, for what method to use.
First there is trolling. This method is best done with rigged swimming mullet, small ballyhoo with reverse hair lures and swimming plugs. Dredges can be very effective when rigged with medium ballyhoo, small mullet or even the Mylar strips. Trolling should be around 4 to 6 knots and against the current or across the current. For the best action try small rubber flying fish or even the real thing suspended from a kite and skipped from wave to wave at 3 to 5 knots. The strikes are explosive.
Live bait is deadly. Medium to large pilchards and small goggle eyes are probably best. Medium herring, small pinfish, cigar minnows and live ballyhoo are pretty darn good. Tournament winners anchor near a wreck in 90 to 130 feet put up two or three kites baited with medium pilchards, small goggle eyes or cigar minnows and chum with tons of live pilchards. The action can be crazy.
Finally, there is dead bait chumming. Rods are rigged like live bait rods. That is small strong hooks, 30 or 40 pound fluorocarbon leaders and 20 pound rods with plenty of line. Squid, ballyhoo, herring, pilchards or even bonito are cut into small chunks. The boat is anchored like fishing with live bait, or the boat can drift with the current. Chunks are thrown in the water 5 or 6 at a time. As they disappear from sight another 5 or 6 chunks are thrown in. Don’t over chum, and never break your chum line unless relocating the boat and starting over. Someone needs to maintain the chum during hot bites, slow times and food breaks. Baits are drifted back with the chum and let flow out till reel is half empty, then retrieved and started over. As the sun sets you won’t have many unsuccessful drifts.