Some people just drag a few lines during a casual boat trip, while others practice offshore trolling. The difference isn't in the type of boat or the equipment, even though both are important: the real difference is in the mindset. These ten tips are not for those who want something easy; there are other techniques for that. These are our top 10 tips for those who truly want to catch fish.
1. Study the chart before casting off
Offshore trolling is a search technique, and the search begins on land. Bathymetric cuts, canyons, upwelling zones — all of this can be read on the nautical chart even before starting the engines. Those who go out without having studied the cartography are just wandering aimlessly. Those who have the right waypoints know where to go, and, more importantly, they know why they are going there. If you are less experienced, don't worry, point 6 of this article will reassure you, and these are techniques you can learn later by asking more experienced fishermen and continuing to read our blog.
2. The spread is not accidental
Every position in the wake has a logic. The long center rod (shot gun) at 80/100 meters works in clear water and attracts shy fish; the rods on the outriggers at 40/50 meters work outside the engine foam; the flat lines at 20/30 meters remain in the most active wake. Changing a lure's position without understanding why is like shooting in the dark. Study the spread, understand it, then personalize it for your boat.
3. Choose the right lure and distance for the speed — not the other way around.
One of the most common mistakes: deploying a lure and then setting the speed and distance from the boat "by eye." The reasoning should be reversed. The speed should be chosen not only based on the fish you are targeting, but also, and most importantly, based on your boat, the wake it produces, and the "sound" of the engines. Even a small change in engine RPM can make a big difference. Once you find the optimal wake and speed, choose the kona that works correctly at that pace, and adjust the distance from the boat to make it work best.
A Cube and a Jet Monkey perform well between 6 and 7 knots; a Fat Monkey or an Albacore Tube can push up to 8/9 knots. Every lure has its range — respecting it makes the difference between a kona that works and one that doesn't.
4. The rig is not a detail
Circle hooks, double hooks, trebles: forget them. The hook for offshore trolling is long-shanked, with an in-line point and a wide bend — Mustad 7732 or 7691 models in sizes 6/0-8/0. And the position matters as much as the type: for billfish, the hook must completely exit the skirt; for tuna, it should be as far forward as possible towards the head of the kona. Two different fish, two different attacks, two different positions. There is no universal rig — there is the right one for the prey you are targeting.
5. Teasers are not optional
Those who fish without teasers leave half their potential in the boat. A Flippy Monkey or a Squid Chain in the wake changes the fish's perception of the boat: more noise, more splashes, more visual surface. With 6 rods in the water, at least 3 daisy chains should always be deployed. On calm days, they are deadly on long rods; in rough seas, work them shorter, closer to the boat. But removing them from the equation is never the right choice.
6. Keep your eyes open — always
The fishfinder helps, the plotter guides, but your eyes remain the most underrated tool. A visible current streak on the water, a low-flying seagull, a floating log, a feeding frenzy on the surface — these are signals worth hours of random navigation. Offshore trolling is done with your head out of the boat, not glued to the screen.
7. Doubling up is not just for ocean fishing
In the Mediterranean, we are used to fishing without doubling up before the leader — and as long as it works, it seems fine. But the weak point of the rig is always that part of the main line between the reel and the snap swivel, as long as the rod. With a fish suddenly taking off in the final stages of retrieval, that's where everything breaks. A well-made bimini twist solves the problem in five minutes. Waiting until it's needed to decide to do it is the most expensive choice one can make.
8. Manage the strike with your head, not with adrenaline
A rod goes off — and immediately the instinct to do everything at once kicks in. Wrong. First, assess the fish: if it's a manageable-sized tuna, slow down and fight by retrieving only the rods between the fish and the boat. If it's a billfish, retrieve everything before starting the fight, then work with the boat to shorten the distance. Haste during strikes is the quickest way to lose a fish.
9. Mark everything
Every strike, every sighting, every active zone — mark the waypoint. Over time, a personal map of hot spots is built on the cartography that no app or WhatsApp group can give you. Bathymetrics don't change; fish return. Those who have the discipline to mark gain an advantage that grows with each outing.
10. Heavy tackle makes sense.
Soft rods, light reels, short leaders: in the Mediterranean, we've gotten used to undersizing. But all it takes is an oversized bluefin tuna or a needlefish taking off under the boat to understand that every extra gram of robustness has a specific reason. The reel must hold at least 600 meters of main line, have fast retrieval, and a smooth drag. The shock leader for the Mediterranean should not be shorter than 2.5 meters. It's not about overdoing it — it's about not being unprepared when it counts.
Offshore trolling still offers dream catches in the Mediterranean. But the memorable catches don't come by chance: they come from the sum of many small, well-made decisions, one after another, from the nautical chart to the gaff. Work every detail well — the fish will do the rest.
