Back to the 1960s, in the Shikoku area of Japan. Fishermen were searching for a method to troll as many baits as they could around schools of baitfish that attracted buri (yellowtail).

 

These fishermen were said to have developed the greenstick technique by attempting to mimic the New Guinea kite fishermen who "danced" their baits on the water surface with incredible results. The fishermen successfully replicated this technique with long green bamboo poles (hence the name greenstick) instead of kites.

 

The rig worked so well that large hon-maguro (bluefin tuna) would strike the baits with such force and weight they would frequently break the natural bamboo poles.