Tuna Gear?

[damlex]

I’m head to Chatham the week after next for a week long attempt to get my first Tuna. My family and I have been trying for two years and we think this is going to be our golden opportunity. After reading through other posts and from what I have heard that pink and black are the hot colors for squids. Green machines and daisy chained cedar plugs are hot lures as well. Aside from what I have mentioned are there any other lures I should consider? I already have a couple of green machine bird chains, a green machine bar and a rainbow 9” squid bar. What size squid should I consider if I were to buy a bar? Should the stinger color match? I know the fish are on sand eels as large as 6” or so. With the squids is it a match the hatch situation? What size are people getting on? Does anyone have a strong preference? :confused:

We’ll be fishing off a 20’ boat and will be able to get 4 lines in the spread and 1 off a downrigger. What lures should I consider for the down rigger? I read that 13” rapalas took some fish? Is there a particular pattern? Has anyone taken any on the 9" ones? :confused:

I’d like to thank everyone for their helpful posts which have already provided a wealth of information. :-%

[Toby]

I'm a novice, but here is what I have seen. Most everyone is running GM with birds in front, and they work good. I have mostly smaller spreader bars, and the stingers are always a different color, usually come with white. I use rainbow, pink, black or purple. Pink and black have worked well. I have a Zuccini colored cedar plug chain that has worked well too. I occancionally run a Mann's G30+ diver, but it's hard to fit it in the spread when all the other stuff is on the surface, pulls really hard for my smaller rods and reels too. I've heard of people using the Rapala's , don't see a reason why the smaller ones wouldn't work. It seems the bigger fish like the bigger size bars, not a rule though. I have 1 bar with big squids. We're headed out tomorrow, good luck when you go down.