The Blue Hoo (1/19/2010)especially since the tunas are in shallow water and can't sound as deep as they would be able to if in the Gulf Stream, off of our deepwater rigs, etc.
I would much rather fight one in the deep, than shallow. When they are in the deep, they don't take line like they do in the shallows. In the shallows they have no where to go, so they go out.
I had double header in 40' of water once. One was 90" a 400lbr and the other was 96" a 500lbr. I pulled the right long away from a third. Those two peeled off 3oo-400 yds of line in opposite directions. The 90 took an hour and the 96 took two more on top of that, but we got them.
When you get them in the deep, they just run off a little then dog you. It becomes a game of timing, finesse and boat position. Sometimes if you pull off the top of them, then hammer the drag, they will pop to the top like a cork. Then you just back over, cut them off and stick them.