The Best Tuna Fishing Rod

The Best Tuna Fishing Rod

I’m not going to name any specific brand or make of Tuna Fishing Rod because I believe the components are what make a “Best” of anything. So, let’s take a look at the individual rod components.

Best Tuna Fishing Rod - The Components

Tuna Rod Blank
A good tuna rod blank needs to have a really strong backbone to help lift a large tuna from deep water. The tuna blank can be S-glass or S-Glass/Composite. Both of these materials are super strong and practically indestructible. They come in all different lengths from 4 feet to 8 or 10 feet. Remember, the longer the rod the less leverage you have when fighting a large tuna. You want the most amount of leverage, so go for the shorter tuna rod blanks like 5’ 6” or 6 feet or a max of 7 feet. The 5’ 6” blanks are perfect for large tuna. This is the length I use when I build Bluefin Tuna Rods or Shark Rods. They really give you the most leverage.

Tuna Rod Grips
I really like and recommend EVA front grips. They are super grippy and firm. They give you a really comfortable and firm grip. They are tough and will last a long time. One of the most important features of any grip is it has to be COMFORTABLE. You are going to hold this for hours when fighting large tuna. It better be comfy. Anyway, the rear grip can be EVA or Nylon composite like the Slick Grips. The rear grip takes more abuse if they are set in rod holders while trolling. Rod holders can be pretty rough on rod grips. So consider this before buying.

Tuna Rod Reel Seats
I recommend a good aluminum heavy duty reel seat for tuna rods. Tuna are going to pull against a heavy fishing reel drag and put a lot of tension on the reel and reel seat. It needs to be really strong. Aluminum alloy reel seats are the strongest available. I like Sea-Guide, ALPS and American Tackle aluminum reel seats. They are well made and heavy duty. If you are buying a commercial made tuna rods like Penn or Shimano, then just make sure it has an aluminum reel seat.

Tuna Rod Guides
The best tuna rod guides are not what you might think. Most people think roller guides are the best but actually they are not. Boat rod guides have come along way and now with advanced ceramic ring inserts, they perform as well as roller guides and at a much lower price. The guide ring inserts are available of SiC and SiN or Silicon Carbide or Silicon Nitride. These 2 ceramics are super smooth, tough and very durable. They are diamond polished and extremely smooth. They reduce line friction to something very close to a roller guide. These boat rod guides do not require any maintenance unlike roller guides. If you don’t clean roller guides, they will eventually seize up and your line will break. Boat rod guides are heavy duty stainless steel [SS 316L] frames and are practically indestructible. You can’t go wrong with Fuji, Sea-Guide, American Tackle or ALPS. These are the best there is.

Tuna Rod Tip Tops
Here is where I recommend a roller guide. The rod tip top takes a lot of punishment from a very tense fishing line when a large tuna is running. The rod tension is transmitted on to the tip top. This is where a roller guide is very beneficial. It will reduce the friction between the line and the guide, more than a boat rod tip top can. But if you see a Tuna Rod with a boat rod tip top that has a SiC or SiN ring insert, it will do very well too.