Your first offshore tuna trip, a checklist

The tuna are often 20 to 60 miles offshore. That’s a long way from help on a private boat. None of this is complicated, but all of it matters.

The night before

• Check the marine forecast. The National Weather Service coastal and offshore forecasts, plus active warnings. Look at the wind for the afternoon too: the ride home is often the roughest part of the day.
• Check the buoys. Real-time wind and swell at offshore buoys like 46025 (Santa Monica Basin) and 46086 (San Clemente Basin) tell you what’s really happening out there.
• File a float plan. Tell someone on shore where you’re going, who’s on board, and when to call the Coast Guard if they haven’t heard from you.
• Fuel. Fill up. Plan by the rule of thirds: a third to get out, a third to get back, a third in reserve for weather, a long chase or a tow.
• Licenses. Everyone fishing needs a California license and the right report cards. If you might cross into Mexico, everyone on board needs a Mexican license.

On the boat

• VHF radio fixed mount and a handheld spare. Channel 16 for emergencies.
• EPIRB or PLB, registered and in date.
• Life jackets for everyone, within reach, and a throwable.
• Flares and a signal mirror, in date.
• First aid kit, with something for hooks and cuts.
• Spare fuel filter, impeller and the tools to change them.
• Anchor and enough line for where you’ll be.
• Water, food and sun protection for longer than you plan to be out.

For the fish

• Live bait. Pick it up at the receiver early, and make sure your bait tank pump and overflow work before you get there.
• Ice. More than you think. A brine or slurry cools tuna fastest.
• Rods rigged before you leave. Fly-line, sinker rig, jig and a trolling setup. Here’s the set we’d carry.
• Gaff, bleeding knife and a kill bag or a big cooler.

On the water

• Turn back on time. Set a turnaround time and fuel number before you leave, and stick to them even if the fish are biting.
• Watch the weather build. If the afternoon wind comes up early, head in early.
• Know where the US-Mexico line is. It runs offshore, roughly west-southwest from the border, and it’s easy to cross by accident while following fish.
• Not for navigation. Fishing maps and apps are for finding fish. Use proper charts and your plotter to navigate.

Coming home

Close your float plan. Rinse the gear. Write down what you saw: water temperature, birds, bait, where you marked fish, even if you caught nothing. That logbook is how you get better at this.