Why Every Bass Angler Should Try Topwater Yellowfin Tuna Fishing with Poppers

That’s because it’s not another woman. It’s fishing for yellowfin tuna on topwater poppers. I’ve made five Panama tuna fishing trips in the past five years and I’m planning to be there 17 days next year in the midst of prime popping season. [Don’t worry, I’m keeping the bass boat for when I’m home, and I intend to fish for largemouths and smallmouths even more next year, too.]

If you’re a bass fishing monogamist, I get it. I was once one, too. But trust me. You need to go catch big tuna. If you need to justify it beyond the fact that it’s the most excitement I’ve ever enjoyed, it’ll make you a better bass angler. Here’s why:

The “Tuna Pucker Factor”: Why Yellowfin Topwater Fishing Is Next-Level

I still get excited when my cork goes down under the power of an 8-inch bluegill, so it doesn’t take a giant saltwater critter to thrill me, but the simple scene when chasing yellowfin tuna on poppers is enough to throw anyone off their game.

Imagine this: You see birds diving on the radar, the captain tells you to hang on, and you run three miles at WOT to get to the fish. When you arrive, they’re still blowing up. ACRES OF THEM. It’s like something out of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. If you don’t stay calm, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the opportunity evaporates. You have to get into position, time the waves, unhook the popper from the hook keeper, fire out a cast without fouling up or tangling up with one of your boatmates. On paper, it sounds easy. In the moment it’s like being a one-man band.

But here’s the deal – if you can do it under these chaotic circumstances, it’ll be easy when a single 3-pound largemouth blows up a cast’s length away. Fishing is all about slowing down fast moments, and this is the fastest you can possibly imagine.

Topwater Tuna Tackle Setup: No Weak Gear Allowed

We’ve all been broken off by a crafty 3-pound largemouth or bulldogged by a fat smallmouth, but there’s no way they’re going to break your 50 pound braid without a little assistance or a faulty knot. Now multiply the chances of disaster by a thousand. There aren’t a lot of obstacles out in the ocean, but even judging them pound-for-pound a tuna will smoke a smallie. They’ll find your weakness every time. You need to have flawless topwater tuna tackle.

This led me to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a Shimano Stella and I’ve chased the smaller (10- to 40-pound) schoolers with swimbait gear, but it’s not just having the right tools, it’s making sure that you don’t make any missteps. That means not giving them an inch in your tuna gear setup, making sure everything’s in tiptop shape and every knot is perfect.

It’ll help your bass fishing to be more conscious of these things. Mistakes and failures typically happen when you can afford them least, so any incentive to pay more attention is critical.

Yellowfin Tuna Fishing Strategy: Reading the School and Leading the Bite

When there are acres of fish blowing up around you, it seems like you could throw in every direction and be guaranteed a bite. In the best of times, that may be true, but even then you need to exercise caution. For example, I’ve learned to cast to the edges of the schools – if you hook a giant in the middle of them all, you’re almost guaranteed to be broken off by one of the thousands of slashing tuna in the middle.

It's also about leading a fish. You don’t want to cast where they are, you want to cast where they’re going. When birds are diving or dolphins are working a school of bait, they’re collectively pushing them in a certain direction. That’s where you want to be. Watch the skilled captains – they’re analyzing the movements of the other predators to see how to intercept the fish while they’re still in a frenzied mode. You should do the same with schools of bass.

Yellowfin Tuna on Poppers: Lure Selection Lessons to Improve Any Fishing

At a time when fish seem to be feeding indiscriminately, it’s hard to believe that a big, noisy popper can be ignored. But that’s kind of the point – the tuna have millions of distractions and need to act fast before the opportunity runs out. You need to think about how to make your offering the most attractive option on the buffet. On a given day, under the conditions at hand, a certain offering, color or cadences will prevail.

That’s true with any kind of fishing, but you’ll be surprised at how often a “sure thing” turns into a missed opportunity. You can stand there and feel sorry for yourself, or you can start: (a) figuring out what you could do better; and (b) start getting ready for your next chance…and THERE WILL be another chance. If you don’t come home mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the day you haven’t made the most of it.

Why Every Panama Tuna Trip Makes Me a Better Bass Angler

I’ve caught a lot of amazing topwater fish around the globe – largemouths on Whopper Ploppers, Amazonian peacock bass on woodchoppers, big Alaskan rainbows on dry flies. I’ve yet to chase GTs but they’re on my list (and I have caught bluefin trevally adjacent to the tuna waters), but if they’re stronger than tuna I may have to get a personal trainer.

But the truly amazing thing is that I come home from every Panama tuna fishing trip ready to go bass fishing, stoked to test out new theories, baits and presentations, trying to improve while showing my dedication to my main squeeze.

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