Collection: The Bluefin Tuna Collection: Tournament-Grade Lures

The Bluefin Tuna Collection: Tournament-Grade Lures & Rigging

Mastering the Bluefin bite requires a spread that mimics nature with pinpoint accuracy. Whether you are targeting "football" schoolies on the 20-fathom curve or giant class tuna off Cape Cod, the Mid Atlantic or the Outer Banks, The Bluefin Tuna Collection is engineered to help you find the strike zone and stay there.

From our world-renowned weighted heads to UV-active heads, these lures are designed for the most demanding offshore conditions.


Why Trolling Ballyhoo is the Gold Standard

Rigged ballyhoo remains the cornerstone of bluefin tuna fishing. While spreader bars create the "school" effect, a well-placed ballyhoo—either naked or under a Joe Shute weighted head provides the natural profile that finicky giants can't resist.

  • Precision Depth Control: Our weighted heads (ranging from 1 oz to 8 oz) serve two critical roles: protecting the bait’s head from "washing out" and keeping your presentation submerged. Larger bluefin often shadow bait balls from 50–100 feet down; these heavy heads ensure your bait tracks straight in the "kill zone" without skipping.

  • The Perfect Swim: Bluefin are notoriously picky. To ensure your ballyhoo tracks with a rhythmic side-to-side whip rather than a spin, we recommend a "slow and low" approach. While schoolies hit at 7 knots, giants often prefer a presentation between 4.5 and 6 knots.

  • Size Matters: Match your forage. Use Medium/Large ballyhoo for schoolies (30–60 lbs) and Horse/Select ballyhoo (10"+) with our 5–8 oz heads for trophy-class fish.

The UV & Glow Advantage: See What the Tuna Sees

Tuna are apex predators with highly evolved vision. They possess specialized retinal cells sensitive to Ultraviolet (UV) light. While the human eye misses these details, a UV-reflective lure stands out with high contrast against the deep blue background.

  • UV Penetration: UV light penetrates deeper into the water column than any other color spectrum. Our UV-reflective heads mimic the natural "shimmer" of mackerel scales and squid, making your lure visible to tuna from much greater distances.

  • Bioluminescent Glow: In low-light scenarios—dawn, dusk, or heavy overcast—ambient UV drops. Our Glow heads mimic the bioluminescence of stressed prey. This provides a visual beacon in dark, deep water, triggering the tuna's predatory instinct.

  • Pro Tip – The "Charge" Factor: To maximize the effectiveness of your glow lures, "charge" them for 10 seconds with a UV flashlight before deployment. This ensures maximum brightness the moment they enter the prop wash.

Match the Hatch: Atlantic Color Profiles

  • Blue & White: The universal East Coast standard for mimicking mackerel and silver-sided baitfish.

  • Crystal & Silver: Optimized for high-sun, clear-water days.

Purple & Black: The "go-to" for low-light, stained water, or deep-dropping for giants.

How to troll Joe Shutes for bluefin

Rigged ballyhoo under a weighted head is a mainstay of the bluefin troll. Salt Water Sportsman lists the flat lines, the long riggers and the shotgun as the preferred positions for weighted ballyhoo, mixed in among spreader bars, and notes that the heavier heads let a shotgun bait run far behind the spread, which works well on fussy bluefin.

Which weight

The 3 oz head is the original and the everyday choice on 50 and 80 lb outfits. Heads up to 8 oz earn their place in rough seas and on long shotgun baits. The Fisherman adds that heavier heads improve hookups on large fish because the weight keeps the lure from being pushed aside on the strike. Match the bait to the fish: the same article recommends horse ballyhoo for larger bluefin and bigeye.

How fast

Slower than you would troll for yellowfin. Capt. Kirk Fay, writing in The Fisherman, usually settles around 5 to 5.5 knots for bluefin and runs three 5 oz keel-weighted Joe Shutes with ballyhoo in his bluefin spread. For bluefin and bigeye, Salt Water Sportsman suggests opening the pattern up more than you would for yellowfin.

Know the rules

Atlantic bluefin are the largest of the tunas and are tightly managed. NOAA Fisheries requires a permit for recreational anglers, sets a 27 inch minimum size and adjusts retention limits during the season. Check the current limits before you go.

Straight answers

Before you rig up

What size Joe Shute should I use?

Start with 3 oz, the original weight. Salt Water Sportsman reports New Jersey captain Mark DeBlasio fishing mainly 3 oz keel-weighted heads on 50 and 80 lb outfits, and 1 to 2 oz heads on 20 and 30 lb class tackle for white marlin and yellowfin. Go heavier, up to 8 oz, in rough seas or for a shotgun bait set far back.

How fast should I troll a Joe Shute and ballyhoo?

Use speed as a starting point and watch the bait: it should swim, not spin. Writing in The Fisherman, Capt. Kirk Fay settles around 5 to 5.5 knots for bluefin and about 6 to 7.5 knots for yellowfin. FishTalk Magazine gives 6 to 7 knots as a rule of thumb whenever natural baits are in the spread.

Do I need a permit to fish for tuna?

Yes. In U.S. Atlantic waters recreational anglers need a federal permit to fish for bluefin and yellowfin tuna, and size and retention limits apply. Rules change during the season, so check NOAA Fisheries and the HMS Permit Shop before each trip.

  • Hand-tied in the USAEvery skirt tied by hand
  • 25+ yearsOn charter and tournament spreads
  • Keel weightedBuilt to run upright, not spin
  • 1 to 10 ozA head for every spot in the spread