I've read a few comments on the Forum lately about the structure of feeding YFT and how some of the bigger models (and BYT) may be down a bit deeper. Has anyone had any luck catching them on X-Rap (e.g. Magnum 30s) or other diving hard-bodies? Jigging is always an option of course once you (if you) find them

I've been running one of these new Rapala 30' Divebaits (come pre-rigged on singles) this season in amongst the marlin gear. At 7knts they need to be run pretty much with the wind-on just off the rod tip and in the first "clear window" otherwise they tend to pop out but when on a short leash they are all good - still yet to turn over a 'fin but managed 2nd place in the tuna section at the Whangamata Ladies comp last weekend on one……was only a 10kg albert but got smashed hard and only beaten by a 36kg YFT.

Yeah mate VMC Predator 7266TI

Hey bro - hows tricks?

cheers kezza yeah all good mate, just been keeping a low profile, cracking into a couple of comps soon so see what we can dig up man.
good to see the return of the YFT, polished the old CD14's n 18's ready for some action, might grab one or two of these boys for a run too - that WHU looks like the money shot for BOP YFT

cheers fellas. Some excellent info here.

Lethal: yep - thinking about (and will) using them between work-ups, and then swapping to jigs if the opportunity arises. Up in the Pacific locals I've talked too often seem to target them between 60-80m mostly with bait wrapped in leaves and deployed when jerked.

Kezza: those Rapala 30' Divebaits look the bomb! Excellent that we can now get diver that run well with singles. Time to go shopping!

TOSF: must come and try the YFT and sails in Central America? Are you talking about Sthern Mexico, Nicaragua or Costa Rica? The Sail fishn in Costa Rica sounds epic!

Tony - When targeting tuna exclusively with the X-Raps what sort speed are you trolling at and do you run a "spread" or just a couple off the corners?

We used to troll these, they caught heaps of makos and skippys, they work

Stainless spoon

we made our own and ran the system mentioned below

he best fishing often occurs very early in the day on the inshore humps and hills. Hookups can be one after another for a couple hours or more. By 9 am the bite is often over and usually lot's of boats are around which can run the fish down. This is a good time to pull a #3 1/2 drone spoon on a #2 planer. The leader should be #100 or even #50 line if possible and 30 feet long with a swivel at mid-point.

The Xraps are quite popular on the SBT over here, along with halco laser pro's

Those x-raps are like the yozuri hydro magnums, being a full moulded body.
Often, when trolled with surface lures, the yozuri would be the only one hit or on a multi-strike, always the first hit, and usually the biggest.