Initial Post but here is what I know (this won't take long)
My group has been out for the past two years, trialering from Campbell River, running out of Coal Harbour, out past Winter Harbour and then south off the Brooks Penninsula. We have caught fish both trips but it has been a total experiment on our part.
First trip in mid Sept 2010 resulted in 4 tuna for two boats. Weather was iffy, and the surprise was catching magnum coho trolling at 7 knots on zuker tuna jigs. The tuna we caught had been eating small squid, and the only thing they would bite was a 5 inch white feather jigs, while the coho would bite anything. The fish were mixed together, with one triple header, two cohos (released) and one tuna. The bite was on for only half an hour and then we had to run for the beach due to weather.
The second trip Mid Sept 2011 resulted in 2 tuna caught on newly purchased rapala Xrap 20's (wholesale sports in Nanaimo, $17 bucks each). We caught a single, threw the gear back out and had a triple, but lost two of them. 15 minutes of action within the 12 hours of fishing. All on Xraps. (fish were 29 and 30 lbs) We didn't have these the first year. GET SOME!, they work very well. We trolled a mix of Xraps and jigs, but had no action on the feathers & plastic.
The fish on both trips were caught 25kms SW from the tip of the Brooks Peninsula in roughly the same spot. 2011 water temp where we caught the fish was 58.5 with a high for the day of 59.
Most of my info has come from the "ifish" website out of Oregon and Washington. These guys have been doing this for years, and seem very willing to share info.
This year (water temps, holidays, wind and waves permitting) we want to stay at Winter Harbour and do a couple of days. I would like to try to the NW, off San Joseph Bay and the "Pices Canyon" as I've heard the commercial boats do well there when the water temps are right.
Keep the info coming! It's appreciated.
I have never used "noise makers" such as birds, rabbits, and other stuff. I see the commercial trollers dragging them, so they must help. I'm starting to buy more and better tuna gear, but it's a tough learning curve when we can only do a day or two per year.