Night Time Jigging for Bluefin Tuna
Night time jigging has become a serious method for anglers chasing Southern Bluefin Tuna in New Zealand waters. Trolling used to be the default approach, but recent seasons have shown just how well jigging works, especially during the quiet hours when tuna move up to feed near the surface. It’s a technique that combines the pull of deep sea fishing with the added challenge of doing it after dark. Whether you’ve done this before or you’re trying it for the first time, night time jigging for bluefin tuna is a genuinely different kind of fishing experience.
Why jig at night
Tuna tend to sit deeper in the water column during the day, but once the sun goes down, baitfish rise and bluefin follow them up. That makes the night hours prime time for jigging, since the tuna come up high and tend to hang around, often making it more productive than trolling during the day. The water’s usually calmer too, and fishing in the dark adds its own kind of challenge to the whole experience.
Best gear for night time jigging
Good gear matters here. A solid tuna jigging rod like the Ocean’s Legacy Elementus Ahi Spec Tuna Jigging rod is worth having, known for its jig action and the strength you need when you’re up against a fish this powerful. The Ocean’s Legacy Vengeance is another option, built in a more conventional jigging style. Both can handle the runs a hooked bluefin puts up.
Slow pitch style jigs work well here too, things like the Long Contact, Hybrid Contact, Roven and Deep Contact series. These flutter down slowly on the drop, mimicking baitfish, which tends to draw a strike from tuna. At night, bluefin often feed somewhere between 20 and 100 metres down, and these jigs are built to work that range. Pair them with a high end overhead reel and PE6 or PE8 braided line. You’ll also want a fluorocarbon leader rated 150lb or higher and solid assist hooks, like the Ocean’s Legacy Lancet series, to handle the strikes.
A basic bluefin tuna jigging setup
Rod: Ocean’s Legacy Ahi Spec Tuna Jigging Rod 6’1″ ELSPD-B611XH PE8 or ELSPD-B611XXH PE10. Ocean’s Legacy Vengeance Rod B521H 5’2″ PE4-8 or B511XH 5’1″ PE6-10.
Reel: a high end overhead reel with 400m or more of PE8 line capacity, 20kg or more of drag, ideally with two speed and harness lugs.
Braid: high quality PE8, 100lb or higher.
Leader: fluorocarbon, 150lb or higher.
Jig: Ocean’s Legacy Long Contact 210g, 270g. Ocean’s Legacy Hybrid Contact 200g, 260g. Ocean’s Legacy Roven 200g, 260g. Ocean’s Legacy Deep Contact 300g, 400g.
Hook: Ocean’s Legacy Lancet Heavy Jigging Assist Hooks 9/0 & 11/0. Ocean’s Legacy Lancet Jigging Long Assist Hook 9/0 & 11/0. Ocean’s Legacy Lancet Jigging Short Assist Hook 9/0 & 11/0.
Terminal: Ocean’s Legacy HD Rolling Swivel 4/0. Ocean’s Legacy Monster Split Ring 9/0 & 10/0.
Jig actions
The action you put on the jig matters a lot when you’re targeting bluefin. They tend to respond best to slow pitch or slow mechanical jigging. Slow pitch lets the jig flutter down through the water column, mimicking an injured baitfish, which tuna find hard to ignore. Slow mechanical jigging is a bit different, a series of pulls and pauses that imitate a fleeing baitfish. Both have their place, and the trick is to vary your action on the night until you find what the tuna are actually responding to. Mixing in fast, aggressive jerks with slower, more deliberate pulls, and letting the jig fall properly after each pull, tends to work well, since it copies the erratic movement of an easy target and triggers that predatory response.
Where to go
New Zealand has a few genuinely good bluefin grounds. Waihau Bay is a well known launch point and has become almost synonymous with bluefin fishing, thanks to consistent action through the season. The Sea Valley and the 1000 to 2000 metre contours off the cape, along with Lottin Point, are popular too. East Cape and Gisborne also produce good numbers, with large schools often showing up there. Later in the season, as the tuna move north, Aldie Knoll, the Coromandel Peninsula, and the waters behind Great Barrier Island are worth fishing as well.
The West Coast of the South Island and the waters around Fiordland are also a long established bluefin ground, with a fishery there going back decades, generally running through the warmer months. It’s deep water, and the tuna tend to hunt there at night. Talking to local charter operators or keeping an eye on fishing reports is a good way to stay on top of where the fish are, since conditions and locations can shift quickly.
Tips for success
Timing matters. Bluefin tend to be most active at night, particularly in the hours before dawn, so plan your trip around that.
Preparation matters too. Night fishing is demanding, so check your knots, your line, and your whole setup before you head out.
And bring patience. Bluefin are powerful fish, and it can take time to hook one, but it’s worth the wait.
Conclusion
Night time jigging for bluefin tuna in New Zealand is as much about the experience as it is the catch, fishing under the stars, the company of other anglers, and the satisfaction of getting good at something genuinely difficult. Get the gear right, know where to go, and stay patient, and you’ve got a real shot at hooking into one of the toughest fish out there.
This is definitely on the bucket list! I am really hoping to get amongst it next year! Thank you for all the tips!