The spread
The ultimate NZ yellowfin spread
Five positions, five lures. The spec line is the product's own; prices and stock are live.
Short corner
Halco Max 220
220mm | 16 Colours
Chrome Pink. A bibless minnow built for speed: searching at 9 to 10 knots, it stays planted and vibrating without blowing out.
Long corner
Bonze D-Shackle
10.5" / 270mm | 2 Colours
Fruit Salad. The heart of the spread: an aggressive splash that pulls fish up from the deep, with bright multi-colour flashes in the midday light.
Short rigger
Fatboy Rogue
6.5" - 10.5" | 6 Colours
Flaming Moe. Your primary noisemaker: a deep cupped face and reverse-tapered head create a violent dive-pop cycle, with a high-contrast silhouette through the prop wash.
Long rigger
Fatboy Sniper Jet
8.5" | 6 Colours
Lumo. When the sun is high this jetted bullet stays submerged with a fine, high-speed bubble trail, mimicking a panicked slimy mackerel in clear blue water.
Shotgun, 100m plus back
Halco Laser Pro 190
190mm | 22 Colours
Pilchard. The deep-diving lip keeps it in the strike zone long after the tuna have passed the boat's wake.
01 · The anchors
Fatboy Lures
Surface sprayYellowfin are suckers for surface spray, and Fatboy lures hold their position while creating a massive visual signature that cuts through the glare. The Rogue in Flaming Moe (orange, pink and black) is your primary noisemaker on the short rigger. The Sniper Jet in Lumo is the long-rigger lure for high sun: it stays submerged, leaving a fine, high-speed bubble trail that mimics a panicked slimy mackerel.
- The mission
- Hold position, make a signature
- Best for
- Short riggerLong riggerClear blue water
- Daisy chain
- Rig 3 or 4 Sniper shells with no hooks ahead of the main lure to mimic a small school
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02 · The attractors
Bonze Lures
Tuned for the South PacificGraeme Bonze Fleet's designs are legendary for their ability to dance at various speeds, specifically tuned for South Pacific conditions. The D-Shackle is the heart of the spread on the long corner: its aggressive splash pulls fish up from the deep, in Fruit Salad or Zucchini to catch the midday light. When the fish are skittery and feeding on small saury or pilchards, downsize to The Weapon in Kahawai (green and gold): its smaller profile often triggers fish spooked by larger gear.
- The mission
- Pull fish up from the deep
- Best for
- Long cornerShort cornerSkittery fish
- Colours
- D-Shackle in Fruit Salad or Zucchini · The Weapon in Kahawai
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03 · The enforcers
Halco hardbodies
The sub-surface insurance policyIf the surface is quiet the tuna are likely sitting 5 metres down, and Halco lures are your insurance policy when the bite goes sub-surface. Run a Laser Pro 190 in Pilchard or King Brown at least 100m back as the shotgun: its deep-diving lip keeps it in the strike zone long after the tuna have passed the wake. The Max 220 bibless minnow is built for speed: searching for schools at 9 to 10 knots, it is the only lure that stays planted and vibrating without blowing out.
Where each fits: the Laser Pro 210 XDD dives to 9.1m on 9/0 inline singles, for deeper-holding or bigger fish; the Max 190 is the smaller Max at 155g, trolling at up to 15 knots like the Max 220.
- The mission
- When the bite goes sub-surface
- Best for
- ShotgunShort corner9 to 10 knots
- Colours
- Laser Pro 190 in Pilchard or King Brown · Max 220 in Chrome Pink
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Rigging
The terminal toolkit: rigging for high-speed combat
Yellowfin have incredible eyesight; your rigging must be bulletproof but streamlined. Prices and stock are live.
| Terminal | Type | Pro tip | Why | Brand | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabre Talon 7691S | Hooks | Natural lure action | Use 8/0 to 9/0 singles; single hooks allow a more natural lure action | Sabre | $23.30 In stock |
Shop |
| Bonze Platinum | Hooks | The slash-and-run strike | Ultra-sharp points for the yellowfin's strike style | Bonze | $19.99 In stock |
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| Centro aluminium sleeves | Sleeve | Fluorocarbon-safe crimping | Soft enough not to damage fluorocarbon, strong enough for 60kg plus fish | Centro | $3.99 In stock |
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| Centro ball-bearing swivel | Swivel | The death circle | Dual rotation is a must to prevent line twist while the fish circles | Centro | $11.80 In stock |
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- Pro tip
- Natural lure action
- Why
- Use 8/0 to 9/0 singles; single hooks allow a more natural lure action
- Brand
- Sabre
- Pro tip
- The slash-and-run strike
- Why
- Ultra-sharp points for the yellowfin's strike style
- Brand
- Bonze
- Pro tip
- Fluorocarbon-safe crimping
- Why
- Soft enough not to damage fluorocarbon, strong enough for 60kg plus fish
- Brand
- Centro
- Pro tip
- The death circle
- Why
- Dual rotation is a must to prevent line twist while the fish circles
- Brand
- Centro
Tactics
Expanded pro tactics for the captain
Raising and holding fish.
The daisy chain exciter
Three or four hookless Fatboy Sniper shells ahead of the hooked lure raise curious yellowfin.
The acceleration strike
Bump from 7 to 9 knots on sign: the Rogue bolts and triggers a strike.
Read the birds
Wheeling high: fish deep, Halco Laser Pro way back. Plummeting: troll the edge with a Bonze.
The death circle
Keep in gear, moving slowly away, so the line stays clear of the props.
Related guides
Keep reading
Game fishing
Fatboy spread guide
Pattern geometry for a strike-ready trolling spread: which Fatboy head goes on which wave, and the mistakes that kill your hook-up rate.
Tuna
Tuna rod guide
Casting rods for the topwater rush and jigging rods for the grind, from Zenaq, Ripple Fisher and Yamaga Blanks, with the PE classes decoded.
Boat gear
Scotty downrigger guide
Laketroller, Depthmaster, Strongarm, Depthpower and High-Performance tiers matched to your boat, steel versus braid, and the rigging hardware.
Terminal tackle
Topwater terminal guide
Rings, hooks, swivels and leaders for topwater kingfish and tuna: how each link fails, what to run, and how to rig and check it.
The full range
Every tuna lure we stock
Fatboy, Bonze, Halco, FCL Labo, Tackle House and SaltaEverything in our tuna lure collection that is in stock right now.
Shop tuna lures
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