When fishing for bluefin tuna most fishers are caught off guard by fishing with the wrong fishing rod setups and being unprepared with their light rod that just snaps in half by the pressure that the bluefin tuna puts on the rod. You have to use the right bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo for this application or your rod will get destroyed from all the pressure.
The rod your going to need for this specific fishing application is going to have to be a powerful, durable, and beefy rod with a strong backbone and excellent flexibility all these features are a must when catching bluefin tuna, and if you don’t have all of these features in your rod it’s just going to snap.
As for the reel you’re going to need that extra dragging power, if your using a light application reel or have used one when fishing for bluefin your line probably just snapped fast due to the lack of dragging power on your reel.
If your looking for the very best bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo you have come to the right place, I have fished bluefin tuna for many years and have a best top 3 bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo review list here for you so that you can find yours in no time without having to search for hours.
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Table Of Contents
Penn International VI Casting Saltwater Fishing Rod With The Penn Fathom 25n Reel
When it comes to the best bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo the Penn International VI rod paired with the 25 narrow Penn fathom reel is the best and my personal favorite bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo. When you hook a huge bluefin you want to be ready with the right tools for the job and this pair is perfect when it comes to catching bluefin tuna.
After many years of bluefin fishing, I have had the most success with this pair and I highly recommend this combo to anyone out there that is serious about catching bluefin tuna. Starting with the Penn International VI fishing rod it’s a 6 foot and 4 inch medium-heavy one-piece rod.
The rod itself is constructed with a one-piece high-quality tubular glass blank which delivers unparalleled sensitivity and power. You’re going to want to get the 6 feet 4-inch medium-heavy model for this application. What’s unique about this rod is the Winthrop roller and also fuji turbo guides their very smooth and help when casting long distances.
The grips are eva contoured to give you that added comfort when battling the bigger-sized bluefin tunas. I really like the butt handle design it’s a Stuart straight butt that helps you when pressure is applied to the rod it has really helped me a lot.
This rod is crafted to specifically handle big fish like bluefin tuna and will do so in an excellent way. When I use this setup it feels great overall it has that nice flexibility with the strong backbone that you just need for the big fish. Here below you can find my highly recommended Penn International VI rod at a great price.
Penn Fathom 25 Reel
The Penn fathom is a 25 narrow lever drag reel and I personally love narrow lever drag reels because their line lays down on the spool a lot easier compared to the other reels out there. What’s so great about this reel is the uniquely designed 2-speed quick-shifting system that lets you shift into low or high gear when needed and the reel features switchblade harness lugs as well.
The reel is constructed with a full metal body and side plates made of die-cast aluminum to help with rigidity. It’s a heavy-duty lever drag reel that has amazing durability and cranking power. I love this reel its made to handle the bluefin tunas pressure with its powerful dragging system and it’s very smooth overall.
The reel also features 5 stainless steel ball bearings that are shielded. On top of that, it has a dura drag system that eliminates snags even under extreme dragging pressure, and also it has a double dog ratchet anti-reverse system which is very nice. Here below you can find the Penn fathom 25 reel that I love to use with the Penn international VI rod at a great price.
Recommended Line For This Combo
The line that you want for this setup is going to be the heaviest leader you can use because in the case of throwing a lure you will be able to get away with a really heavy leader since the fish just doesn’t have time to look at it. This setup will use 65-pound braided line I personally use the runcl merced 65-pound braided line.
Its made for the bigger-sized fish and crafted with thin coating technology which makes it UV-resistant. As for the leader you want to attach an 80-pound fluorocarbon leader. The seguar leader line works great and this is what I always use when I go fishing for bluefin tuna. You can find my line recommendations here below
Penn Ally Boat Casting Fishing Rod With The Penn Fathom 30 Lever Drag
The second bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo that I highly recommend is the penn ally rod paired with the pen fathom 30 reel. This is my second personal favorite setup it’s a great bargain for the performance it gives. The reel really stands out with its tough dragging power and the rod with its strong backbone and flexibility.
I like to use this setup when I’m fishing the 200-pound bluefin tuna it will handle them like a charm and fights are fun with this for the price this combo goes for I just have to recommend it. This rod and reel combo performs better than combos worth twice the price!
The Pen Ally rod, in my opinion, is the best bargain rod out there for bluefin tuna fishing, you won’t find a better performing rod around this price this one blows them all out of the water. This setup will catch bluefins that are up to 200 pounds with ease and is a must-have for every serious bluefin tuna fisher out there for the price it’s worth its a bang for your buck!
It’s a one-piece tubular glass blank rod that has an amazing solid tip that helps in preventing the rod from snapping. The guides are fuji stainless steel and have aluminum oxide inserts this is high quality at its finest.
The rod has a unique featured triangular-shaped EVA torque fore grip which helps in reducing the rod from rotating when in pressure. Also, the reel seat is a heavy-duty graphite and machined aluminum constructed seat to give you that secure and tight grip on the reel. Here below you can find my highly recommended Penn Ally rod at a great price.
Penn Fathom 30 Reel
Over the last couple of years, this reel has become one of my favorite reels its an amazing quality reel. It’s a 5 ball bearings reel with an anti-reverse system. The uniquely designed reel has its stainless steel pinion and main gears drilled out to make it weight lighter and really helps with hand fatigue when reeling.
It’s a full metal body reel that has that high drag power to reel in the big bluefin tunas and has reeled in 150 pounders without a problem I was shocked at this one and it stood out from the rest when I saw what this workhorse can handle.
It’s extremely strong with a smooth drag and I love its high-speed retrieve it’s so fast your going to be shocked when you get your hands on this one. The full control this reel offers is just like no other and for the price, it’s the go-to big game fish reel. Here below you can find my highly recommended Penn fathom 30 reel for the Penn ally rod at a great price.
Recommended Line For This Combo
Depending on the size of the fish for this combo you can use 60 to 80-pound braided line. If the bluefin tunas are very aggressive definitely go with the 80 but for the most part, I just start with the 60 pound and see what happens from there. You can find my line recommendations here below.
PENN Carnage II With The Penn Fathom 25 Narrow Lever Drag Reel
The third best setup is going to have to be the Penn Carnage ll rod paired with the pen fathom 25 narrow lever drag reel. This is going to be your go-to if you know theirs mixed bluefin and yellowfin tunas around. A great multi-purpose combo that is very versatile and amazing for all types of big fish.
I absolutely love the Carnage ll it’s a boat baitcasting rod that’s seven-foot-long with a medium-heavy action. It features sls3 blank construction which helps reduce its weight without it losing its power and durability. The guides on the carnage rod are fuji k guides and have alconite inserts.
The rod also features a non-slip foregrip design so that when you’re in battle with the monster-sized bluefin tunas your rod won’t slip off your hands and fall into the water that is the worst thing that can happen and with this design, it will be avoided.
On top of that its reel seat is constructed with a pack bay design and is made with an aluminum seat and gimbal. If you’re going out to catch bluefin tuna you’re going to need this type of rod to really battle them and catch them any cheaper type of rod will just be destroyed in the process. Here below you can find my highly recommended Carnage ll rod at a great price.
Penn Fathom 25 Reel
This reel is the Penn fathom 25 lever drag reel it’s a narrow lever drag reel. An amazing 5-ball bearings big game fish reel that overall works wonder for bluefin tuna and will also work even better for the heavy pound fish.
It will hold more line than you will ever need and really has a smooth drag that is powerful enough to reel in all types of big game fish including bluefin tuna. Penn just makes the best reels for this type of fishing application and it really can’t be beat for the performances it gives.
The high-speed retrieve on the reel is so fast which is helpful during the big game fish battles. All in all, it’s a great full metal body reel that is made with high quality in mind and just won’t disappoint. Here below you can find my highly recommended Penn fathom 25 lever drag reel to pair with the Penn Carnage ll at a great price.
Recommended Line For This Combo
You’re going to want this spool this reel up with 80-pound spider wire line braid you can do fifty if their really biting for the most part 80 works fine. With this line when you hook the bluefin fight it on high gear as long as you can and once the fish starts to slow down and making its circles down a lot you can change your reel to low gear. You can find my line recommendations here below.
In Conclusion
With many years of fishing bluefin tuna, I have found that if you’re going to fish for them your gonna need the right bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo. If you don’t use the right setup your rod and reel will just break because they cant withstand the pressure that the bluefin tuna has.
Bluefins are one of the bigger fish species that you can fish for and they’re heavy so always make sure that you’re using a heavy rod with a fifty-pound class reel. Bringing a light to medium rod on a bluefin tuna boat trip is only going to get you laughed at and at the end of the day if you try fishing with one it’s going to get destroyed so make sure you bring the right tool for the job when it comes to bluefin tuna fishing.
Now that you have the best bluefin tuna fishing rod and reel combo go out and put it to the test and watch how many bluefin tunas you can catch with ease.