Proteus Tuna Special

The Daiwa Proteus Tuna Special is a two-rod rail-fishing conventional casting lineup designed for large bluefin tuna fishing from private boats. The technique, called "rail fishing", involves an angler bracing their rod on the boat's rail or gunwale while fighting a large tuna on heavy conventional gear with live bait or heavy lures. The series is based on the western U. S. Bluefin fishery, where anglers on small private boats target giant bluefin in the 100–300lb class. Blanks are IM-7 graphite composite painted widow black.

Fuji HD guides and a Fuji HD reel seat are fitted for heavy-duty conventional use. A distinctive feature is the specialized fore grip material, described as similar to tire rubber, which slides along the rail without marring the boat while providing multiple grip positions for leverage during a fight. The long fore grip allows anglers to brace against the rail and pull from multiple angles. Blank and guide assemblies were rigorously tested under heavy load conditions consistent with large-tuna fight scenarios.

Both models are 7'4" fast-action casting rods sharing the same physical format but differing in backbone: the PRTB74XXHF is XXH power rated 80–150lb line for standard large-bluefin rail applications, and the PRTB74XXXHF is XXXH power rated 80lb+ unlimited for the most extreme tuna situations or maximum power requirements. The lineup gives anglers two power steps within the same technique and length.