Yellowfin Tuna Species Guide and Yellowtail Tuna

Yellowfin Tuna Species Guide and Yellowtail Tuna

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Species Highlight – Yellowfin Tuna – Picture from oceanbluefishing.com

Yellowfin Tuna (also known as Thunnus albacares or “Ahi” in Hawaiia) is a species of tuna that is deep blue on top with a shallow yellow line in the middle of their body going to the tail. Their fins are also yellowish in color. Yellowfin is one of the larger tuna species and very tasty.

Yellowfin tuna have the potential of reaching up to a weight of 400lbs or 180kg. They are mainly found in the warmer offshore waters such as Gulf of Meixco, Hawaii, Caribbean, Eastern and Western Pacific.

Yellowfin tuna group together in enormous schools and can be seen feeding as they break the surface chasing after bait. Like other Tuna species they eat a large number of different bait fish like sardines and mackerel, squid, and even small pelagic crabs. 

Yellowfin tuna are strong fighters. Like all tuna they pull hard for their size, and as mentioned above, they can get quite large.  They almost never jump when hooked, instead swim in large circles making it a long process to get them in the boat.  They are a great gamefish and a pleasure to catch. As a bonus, they are also great to eat. 

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna

Difference between Yellowfin and Yellowtail Tuna

Yellowfin vs Yellowtail Tuna

Yellowfin tuna and Yellowtail tuna are both species of fish that belong to the same family, Scombridae, but they are different species. Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a species of tuna that is found in the open waters of the tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, while yellowtail tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a species of tuna that is found primarily in the waters off the coast of Japan and Australia.

Yellowfin tuna is a large fish that can grow up to 6.5 feet in length and weigh up to 440 pounds. It has a metallic blue-black back and upper sides with a silver belly and bright longer yellow fins. Yellowtail tuna, on the other hand, is a medium-sized fish that can grow up to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 110 pounds. It has a dark blue back and upper sides with a silver belly and smaller yellow fins. The two species can be distinguished by the size, color, and location of the yellow fins. Yellowfin tuna has yellow fins that are located at the top of its body and are longer, while yellowtail tuna has yellow fins that are located at the bottom of its body and are smaller.

Yellowfin tuna is considered to have a stronger flavor and firmer texture than yellowtail tuna. Yellowfin tuna is often used for sashimi and sushi, while yellowtail tuna is often grilled or served as sashimi. Yellowtail tuna is considered to be a good choice for grilling or cooking because of its milder flavor and softer texture. It is also considered to be a good choice for raw fish dishes because of its softer texture and milder flavor.

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna Trolling

Specific details on How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna

How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna
How to Catch Yellowfin Tuna

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Top 3 Tuna Fishing Books on Amazon

Top 3 Tuna Fishing Books on Amazon

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Tuna is a saltwater fish and is much harder to catch than the fish you catch in your nearby stream. Without any angling experience, it is likely that you will fail wasting your money on renting the fishing charter. So, before you go tuna fishing, you will want to better prepare yourself by learning as much as you can. One way to do this is to reference tuna fishing books as they offer lots of useful tips for beginners. The following are the top 3 tuna fishing books on Amazon.

1. Chasing Tuna: The Beginner’s Guide to West Coast Offshore Fishing

Chasing Tuna: The Beginner’s Guide to West Coast Offshore Fishing

Chasing Tuna by Matt Steiger is a tuna fishing book for beginners who want to learn about deep sea fishing. It discusses everything you need to know from selecting the right bait to getting the right boat and equipment. You can find information on how to prepare yourself for the fishing charter. For example, whether you should bring your own food and drink and how to handle seasickness when you are onboard a fishing charter. It covers both basic and advanced fishing topics so you can read it even if you are an advanced tuna angler. It gives tips on what to do if the fish fight back.

The book discusses about how to handle the catch including cleaning, storing, and cooking the fish. There are a lot of black and white vignette graphics for illustrating the different fishing techniques. It can be an entertaining read since the author recounts a lot of fishing stories from his own experiences. The stories talk about the mistakes he made and how you can avoid them for better result. It also have many fun facts to entertain the readers. Reading the book will boost your confidence into renting a charter to achieve your tuna fishing dream. Overall, it is a great book for people who are interested in chartering a boat for offshore tuna fishing.

2. Tuna on the Fly: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing’s Ultimate Trophy Fish

Tuna on the Fly: A Comprehensive Guide to Fly Fishing’s Ultimate Trophy Fish

Tuna on the Fly by Tom Gilmore is a guidebook that teaches you how to catch all the popular tuna species in various fishing spots. The book only cover tuna fishing in the USA waters. There is no information on tuna fishing in other waters like Pacific or Mexican waters. In this book, you can find information on the habits and behaviors of different tuna species. You can more accurately target the tuna you want to catch if you know its behavior and activities. You’ll learn how to catch large tuna without breaking your fly rod. It gives tips on what is the best fishing knot to use for tuna.

If you have trouble locating tuna fish, you can look up the book as it provides information on the various methods you can use to identify its whereabouts. Like all other guidebooks, it also discusses about what equipment you need to have to get started and the different tactics in tuna fishing. The book has a lot of black and white photos and a few color photos. There is a total of 40 b/w photos and 8 color photos. Many of the photos features the catches of trophy fisherman like Zane Gray. It also has 10 maps that covers different fishing spots locations.

3. Fish the Chair If You Dare: The Ultimate Guide to Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing

Fish the Chair If You Dare: The Ultimate Guide to Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing

Fish the Chair If You Dare is a book written by a fisherman in real life called Captain Greg Beacher. At the start of the book, you can read a detailed overview on bluefin tuna fishing which occurs mostly in the Atlantic waters. You’ll find valuable information on the different tactics used in catching large bluefin tuna on a fishing charter. You can buy this book and read it if you recently purchase a fishing charter and are hoping to have successful catches of large tuna. Flipping through the pages, you will find it has information on the different bluefin fishing methods that are used by fishing charters captains.

The fishing methods it discusses can also be useful for people who want to catch other types of tuna species such as YellowFin, Albacore, and Dorado. The book was first published in 1993 so the information can be a bit dated for you. Nevertheless, the valuable tips and hints provided in this book makes it worthwhile for the price of the book as you normally won’t find these information elsewhere. The book is recommended for beginners who are interested in catching bluefin tuna. You can also buy this book to get better tuna catches if you are a fisherman. Inside the pages, there are some commercials. Therefore, it may not be the book you are looking for if you want an entertaining book to read on tuna fishing.

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How to Get Started in Tuna Fishing

How to Get Started in Tuna Fishing

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If you have been successful in fishing in small rivers, you may be interested in going for a bigger challenge with tuna fishing. Since tuna is a big fish, you can expect a lot of splashing of water when it struggles on your fishing rod. Angling on the sea for tuna will be a completely different experience than your usual fishing hobby in the nearby stream. It is important to do it the right way if you want to be successful and catch lots of tunas when you set out on the ocean in your fishing charter.

 

Locating the Tuna

Tuna likes to live in the part of the ocean with warm water currents. Therefore, if you want to find tuna, you will need to look for temperature gradients on ocean maps. Usually, tuna can be easily found within 5 mi or more than 100 mi offshore. Some people also use electronic fish finder to find out the tuna fish’s location and depth.  You can follow a fishing charter if you don’t want to bother about locating the tuna yourself. The fishing charters will leave from popular piers or wharfs.

Different types of tuna can be caught in the waters including bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeye. Bluefin can be found in the waters around 8 miles off the coast from May to October. Bluefin likes to swim 60 – 100 feet below the ocean. If you want to catch bluefin, you should use yoyo fishing style, which requires you to drop the jig in the water and then retrieve it back quickly.

Yellowfin tuna likes to swim in the warmer areas of the sea, and the northern part of Islands. You can catch as much as 400 pounds of yellowfin tuna on a fishing charter. The best time to catch yellowfin tuna is from 3 AM to 8 AM. Yellowfin tuna does not spawn in local waters but in the waters located south to the eastern Pacific. Bigeyes usually appear in the waters from June to November. They can weigh in between 50 – 100 pounds.

Live Chumming

You can start live chumming as soon as you have located the tuna’s whereabout. Live chumming involves using a dip net to pick up small live baits and toss them to the surface of the water near the boat. It aims to attract the tuna fishes near to your boat. Live chumming technique can be used along with trolling.

Prepare Your Hook

You will want to make sure that you have already prepared your hook with the bait of your choice. Various types of baits can be used including anchovies, squids, and sardines. You can twist an egg sinker in the 1/4 – 5/8 range to enable the fishing bait to sink to at least 10 feet below the water. The bait should not stay on the surface as it can get eaten by the bird.

Feather jig is commonly attached to the hook as it resembles the fins and tails of a fish. For tuna fishing, you will need a 7 – 8 foot long rod that has a rating in between 12 – 25. Longer rod is easier to maneuver around the boat. In addition, you should get a saltwater spinning reel as it offers a stronger resistance against big fishes.

Once the hook is prepared, you can drop it in the depth of water dictated by your tuna locator. At this point, you need to be patient and wait for the tuna to strike your hook. You should pull in your reel every 10 minutes to see if it has gotten a bite. Sometimes, you don’t get a bite on the hook because the bait has accidentally detached and drop in the ocean water.

Getting the Fish Into Your Boat

Once you get a bite, you can count to three and let the line peel off your reel. There is no need to set the hook as the tuna mouth will automatically hook itself when it bites. When the tuna is hooked, you will feel tension as it struggles to escape. Tuna is a hard fighter that can swim fast. It will try to run circles around your boat to get the line to snap so that it can get away. It will circle below the boat if it can’t snap the line by circling around the boat.

You must be very patient when trying to retrieve the fish into your boat. You can try pulling the line up and down slowly. Your persistence will eventually wear down the fish and you will eventually be able to reel the fish into your boat. One thing to keep in mind when reeling in the fish is to maintain the proper tension to prevent the line from breaking.

Good Luck and let us know how you go 🙂

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When Does Tuna Fishing Season Start in the USA

When Does Tuna Fishing Season Start in the USA

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Tuna is a game fish with tasty flesh that is often used in making sandwich. If you have eaten canned tuna before, you know what is a tuna fish. If you are into fishing, you may be interested in catching your own tuna and cooking it yourself. There are seasons when tuna come roaming around the sea waters in your place. So, if you want to catch tuna successfully, you need to know when does the tuna fishing season start and ends. In the USA, the tuna fishing season starts in June and ends in November. However, the actual length of the fishing season varies in different places.

Big Eye Tuna Lures

Tuna Fishing by State

Florida – Florida, also known as Sunshine State, is the sunniest state in USA. The fishing capital offers year round tuna fishing season but the prime time is from May to September.

Louisiana – Louisiana has many bodies of waters in the Pelican state so it is able to offer year round tuna fishing. You can catch yellowfin, blackfin, and bluefin tuna in Lousiana.

California – California is one of the best places for catching tuna in the USA which is why it attracts a lot of tourists in the first place. The fishing charters often get fully booked from July to September. However, you don’t have to worry if you don’t get to book any fishing charter in these months as you still have the opportunity to catch some tuna a  early as April and as late as November.

Hawaii – Hawaii is a favorite spot for anglers especially during the tuna fishing season. Usually, tourists will go to the Aloha State when they want to catch tuna. The best time to catch tuna in Aloha is from June to August. If you want to catch yellowfin tuna, you should visit in between May and September.

Texas – Texas is a well known saltwater fishing destination in the USA. You should visit in between July to November if you want to catch some tuna.

Oregon – Oregon is another place where you can catch some tuna during the season. The first school of tuna arrive in Oregon in the middle of July and will linger on until October.

Delaware – Delaware is the best fishing spot for people who are interested in angling for yellowfin tuna instead of bluefin tuna. In Delaware, you can spot yellowfin tuna in the waters year round.

New England – New England has a lot of bluefin tuna in its waters during the tuna fishing season. You can expect to catch a lot of tuna from June to November.

Massachusetts – Massachusetts has a tuna fishing season that runs from June to November but the best time to catch tuna is from August to September.

Bahamas – Bahamas is famous for its white sandy beach and recreational activities including fishing. You can expect to catch some tuna from May to August in the Bahamas.

Mallorca – As the largest island in the Balearic Islands, you can expect to find lots of large tunas in the waters of Mallorca. The tuna fishing season in Mallorca occurs from March to May.

Tenerife – Another place where you can catch tuna in Spain is Tenerife. The months between February and May are the best time for tuna fishing in Tenerife.

Cape Town – Cape Town in South Africa attracts a lot of serious anglers for tuna every year. The waters in Cape Town are filled with various types of tuna including yellowfin, longfin, skipjack and bigeye tuna.

Tips on Angling for Tuna

Follow the Birds

If you want to catch tuna, you must first know where to catch it. You can get clues from where the seabirds are flying about. Usually, the seabirds will circle above the waters because of the baitfish that the school of tuna is feeding on. While following the birds, you will also want to keep an eye on the fish finder device.

Match the Bait

You need to have the right bait if you want to attract tuna. Tuna feed on a variety of baits. If you don’t have the right bait, you are going to have difficulties in catching the tuna. You must first work out what target fish the tuna feed on, and the size. After that, you can get a bait that is similar to trick the tuna fish to get near to your hook. Halco’s Brown Bomber is a popular lure often used to catch large tuna.

Catching Big Tuna in the Deep Water

Large tuna is always in the deeper part of the ocean. So, if you want to catch big tuna, you must monitor the depth sounder to ensure that the lure sinks to the correct depth beneath the ocean. The tuna is less afraid when it sees a lure on the ocean floor and more likely to bite it.

Chum the Waters

One way to attract a large school of tuna is to chum the waters. To get the tuna close to your boat, you should turn off the engine. When there is no sound, the tuna will be less afraid and voluntarily come near to fight for free meal. If sharks arrive, you can move your boat to another spot.

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Guide for Catching Spanish Mackerel from the Shore

Guide for Catching Spanish Mackerel from the Shore

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Spanish Mackerel is a type of fish that stays near to the coast in the Atlantic Ocean. They are frequently found between New York and Gulf of Mexico but will migrate to the southern coast of Florida in winter. Spanish Mackerel are fast swimmers and often travel together in large schools near the water surface. When feeding time, they will drive the baitfish to the surface which attracts the diving birds. So, you can’t get wrong with following the diving birds when you want to catch Spanish Mackerel.

Where to Find Spanish Mackerel

Spanish Mackerel is a migrating fish that will move from places to places depending on the weather. They usually appear in water with temperature around 70 degree. You can reference the temperature table at the NOAA website to learn about the water temperature of different US coastal waters at different dates. The changes of the water temperature is usually determined by the weather pattern so you will also want to check out the local fishing reports. You can get news on the local fishing reports in the forums and other websites.

The best time to catch Spanish Mackerel in North/South Carolina, and Georgia is from May to October. The Spanish Mackerel fishing season for Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, and St. Augustine in Florida starts from April to October. The fishing season for Naples and Stuart Beach in Florida extends from March to November. Beginning your fishing day at sunrise can give you more success because they are more likely to be in the shallow water around this time.

How to Find Spanish Mackerel

Spanish Mackerel is usually found swimming near the shore around 5 – 20 feet deep. If you don’t have a boat, you will have to go to a spot where you can target them in the deeper water. You can target on Spanish Mackerels from the beach, jetties and piers. Live baits work particularly well when you are fishing from a pier. You should get familiar with the rules of the pier before fishing there.

The pier may have rules on the number of rods you can bring, alcohol, and whether you need to get any license to fish at the beach. Jetties are built deeper into the water which means you don’t need to cast far. For this reason, you can use lighter baits like little glass minnow, feather jigs, and hair jig. Spanish Mackerels can also often be found along the actual coastlines, for example, the Pensacola Bay in Florida.

Targeting Spanish Mackerel When Fishing

Spanish Mackerel is a big fish but its favorite food is the small baitfish so you need to prepare small baits. Besides, you will also want to choose a bait that has similar color with the baitfish. You can use live baits such as mullets, cut squid, and live/dead shrimp for catching Spanish. To attract Spanish, you will have to retrieve the lure fast as they like to chase after the target at a high speed. Getting a high gear ratio tackle is a must for faster retrieval. If you can retrieve the lure fast, you will be able to make another cast back to the school before it moves to another spot. Conventional tackle works best if you are fishing from the piers.

To improve your chances of catching a mackerel, you can use a longer fly fishing rod. Longer rod like 9 feet rod allows you to make a longer cast. Heavy metal lure is useful for catching mackerels as it allows you to cast your line far and faster. Spanish mackerels can swim quite fast and that is why you should use a metal lure. The lure will be able to cast far allowing you to reach schools easily from your spot. Metal lure is more resistant to the teeth of Spanish Mackerel and can last for a long time. Casting spoons, and Gotcha plugs are some of the artificial baits that can help you get passed the sandbar.

Choosing the Leaders for Spanish Mackerel

Choosing the right leader line can make a lot of difference. You can use 30 – 50 pound monofilament for the leader. The leader should preferably be long up to 5 foot so that you can cut and retie several times. The line will become more and more frayed as you catch more fish so it is important to check the line for damage from time to time.

Braided line is not recommended as it can easily get noticed and bitten by the sharp teeth of Spanish. You also want to make sure that the leader is not too noticeable as it will make the Spanish avoid your bait. You will want to avoid using a flashy swivel for the leader as the fish is likely to strike it. It is recommended to use a small swivel with muted color such as matte black.

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How to Catch Tuna

How to Catch Tuna

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Before you ever step into the boat, read how to catch tuna. The secrets found within its pages can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. If you are sick of buying your fish from the supermarket (YUCK), you owe it to yourself to check it out!

Searching for tuna can be an exciting adventure. It can also be extremely frustrating unless you know what you are looking for. In the summer months you will have an easier time finding schools of tuna. Typically, they will stay near the surface of the water while hunting for schools of bait fish. In the winter months, tuna tend to hunt deeper and rarely venture up to the surface. Additionally, tuna fishing is usually better in low light conditions, such as those in the late afternoon.

When fishing for tuna always be on the lookout for diving birds. Tuna tend to travel near pods of dolphins or sharks. If you see either birds, dolphins or sharks try and determine if any bait fish are in the area.

Typically, anglers prefer to troll using a W. This simple pattern consists of 2 long lines attached to each outrigger, 2 lines held relatively flat and out to the side and one line that goes straight down the middle just below the surface. The goal is to present a bold presentation of varying lures. Try and create the illusion of panic stricken schools of bait fish. Green lures are particularly alluring to yellow fin tuna for some reason.

Pick a lure. Most tuna lures have a Kona head, but they come in many shapes, sizes and colors and under many names. The Kona head creates an ideal bubble trail and surface action for attracting tuna. Generally the larger the lure, the larger the fish you will catch, but of course there are always exceptions to the rules. You never know what size and type of fish will hit your next lure. For smaller tuna, Albacore and Striped, 6inch lures of any type in green/yellow, blue/silver and red/white I have found to be most successful. The next step up would include 8-10inch lures aimed at catching Bluefin, Yellowfin and Albacore Tuna. One popular Yellowfin lure that catches well is the Pakula Lumo Small Spocket. White Bluefin are readily caught on pink, brown and purple colour combination’s. If you are after large Yellowfin Tuna or Striped Marlin in particular I have caught well on darker lures in combination’s of blue, black and purple, but they tend to go for pink as well. As with all fish there are no hard and fast rules. If you are not succeeding, change your lure position, colour or alter your speed until you find the right mix. Undoubtedly you will discover the joys of game fishing.

Try trolling at slow speeds (5-9 mph) using either live bait or artificial lures, such as strip baits, large spoons, skirted lures, and plugs. Don’t worry the tuna are more than fast enough to keep up with the boat. When you troll, you should let out a quarter of your line behind the boat; a hundred yards or more is excellent.

When tuna hit, they hit hard, usually hooking themselves with no help from you, and yanking the line off the reel at a rapid rate. If the line becomes slack, the fish is probably swimming toward the boat; reel in the slack rapidly, and make sure the hook is set. Always keep the line tight. A truly large fish might give you the fight of your life, battling for as long as several hours before it wins by snapping the line or leader or you do, by getting it up to the boat. I am a keen fisherman, who loves to watch, read, and do just about everything fishing. Hoping to learn lots of tricks from my how to catch tuna website

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Tips on Catching Bigeye Tuna

Tips on Catching Bigeye Tuna

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Bigeye tuna, also known as Thunnus obesus, looks similar to the bluefin tuna but this species is slightly smaller. Its pectoral fin is about the same length as that of a yellowfin tuna. The first giveaway of a bigeye tuna that is its large pupil, which is twice times larger that the two species. This type of tuna tends to have a higher concentration of cholesterol compared to other tuna. They are often used to make sushi and sashimi in Japanese restaurant. If you want to go on a bigeye tuna fishing trip, you’ll need to prepare a big fish box that is filled with ice to store it.

Bigeye are reported to live up to 12 years and reach a maximum length of about 98 inches, and a maximum weight in excess of 400 pounds. The current all-tackle world record is 392 pounds.

Big Eye Tuna vs Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna  and Big Eye Tuna are very similar and often get mixed up, especially if you catch one in the 100-pound range. Both have metallic blue/black back with a bright gold yellow side bands.  One of the easiest ways to separate them is via the tail fin. The characteristics yellowfin tails are yellow/golden, while bigeye tails are darker in color, being purplish-black. In addition bigeye’s second dorsal and anal fin never grows as long as those of the yellowfin do.

Bigeye spend a majority of their day at depths greater than 250 feet, often diving as deep as 1,500 to 1,600 feet in search of forage. This is in contrast to the yellowfin tuna, which spends over 75 percent of its time less than 250 feet from the surface.

 

Where to Catch Big Eye Tuna

Bigeye tuna can be found in warm temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Schools of bigeye tuna tend to be found deep during the day whereas schools of bluefin, yellowfin, and other tuna species are known to swim more toward at the surface.

Bigeye has a habit of hunting for baitfish at high flyers or canyons so you should take your boat to these places to have a better chance of catching them. The best time to catch them is around the twilight or shortly after the dark. You will also get good result when hunting them just before dawn. When hunting in the dim condition, dark color baits will work better.

When looking for bigeye, you must look out for signs like birds and porpoises as they can tell you where the bait fish are. If you spot feeding birds or porpoises, chances are the bigeye will also be nearby. Pilot whales and bigeye are often seen feeding together on the same school of squid below the ocean surface. Therefore, if you notice a pilot whale, it could be that the bigeye is within a proximity range.

Bigeye Tuna Catching Techniques

Spreader bars technique can be used to attract the tuna to the top of the water during the day time. You can use spreader bar technique along with green and yellow shell squids lures. A combination of jigs that weigh 180 – 250 gm will also help to lure the fish to the top water. Bigeye has good eyesight and using thin fluorocarbon fishing line can prevent them from seeing the hook. There are some hooks that are painted red in color to camouflage the blood of bleeding bait fish.

When trolling for bigeye tuna, you should maintain at a speed of 6 – 8 knots along the 100 fathom line. On the day you go out fishing, the water temperature should be warm around 70 degrees (21 deg C) . The best time to go fishing for Bigeye tuna is May through October in the mid Atlantic sea. Bigeyes are tougher so they require professional fishing skills. A fishing charter that is longer than 25 feet will work the best.

The bite is unmistakable and unforgettable. The water erupts with bomb like explosion, you may need a new pair of trousers! Unlike other tuna species that come up underneath the bait and snatch it, big eye tuna leave a huge hole in the ocean when they explode on the bait. They often travel in small packs and multiples hook-ups are common, resulting in two or three rods doubling over, leaving anglers with their mouths open and their hands full.

 

Spreader Bar Bigeye Tuna Items

 

Big Eye Tuna Bait

The diet of the bigeye tuna includes squid, crustaceans, mullet, sardines, small mackerels. Different types of baits can be used in bigeye tuna fishing including rigged mullet, sea star, rigged squid, ballyhoo with llander, and braid bigeye rocket. To hook the lure, you can use a 11/0 hook. Often, more than one bigeyes will end up at the hook of your fishing rods as they are used to travel in small schools. Fishing methods include trolling deep with squid, mullet or other small baits, or artificial lures, and live bait fishing in deep waters with similar baits.

Always keep an eye out for whales, which are often found in close proximity to bigeye schools. Anglers believe that bigeye and the whales feed on the same squid down deep below and this is why they are  often seen together.

Big Eye Tuna Lures

As mentioned above, the Spreader bars technique will give you the ideal chance to drag several lures enticing big eye tuna. one standout lure for this fish is Braid Big Eye Rocket Lures.

Braid Big Eye Rocket

Braid Big Eye Rocket are a proven producer world-wide. The Braid Big Eye Rocket swims with a natural squid-like appearance, leaving a thin bubble trail that draws fish right to the lure. Great bait for flat line or center line trolling. A bigeye tuna killer for sure, this lure has become an absolute must for serious fishermen looking to capitalize on trophy yellowfin, bigeye and even the prized wahoo!

The 9″ is the most popular size for most situations and is the go-to size for most fishing folk. The demand for a slightly longer, heavier version for rougher waters and to mimic larger baits resulted in the senior braid big eye rocket 11″ version.

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Tuna Fishing Tips for Catching Albacore Tuna

Tuna Fishing Tips for Catching Albacore Tuna

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Catching Albacore Tuna Fishing
Catching Albacore Tuna

Albacore Tuna, also called thunnus alalunga or albies, is one of the smaller tuna species with metallic dark blue top and silver white belly. Its flesh is pink in color and will turn white when you cook it. Most of the Albacore tuna caught are young and weigh in between 10 – 30 pounds. Because they are young, there is a lower accumulation of mercury in their flesh. Albacore tuna is rich in omega 3 and they are often made into canned tuna.

Albacore tuna is an active fish typically found in tropical/temperate ocean so the best way to catch Albacore Tuna is trolling. It will be difficult to catch tuna from a boat that stands still in the water since they travel in large schools at high speed. When trolling for albacore, it is best to maintain at a boat speed of 6 – 10 knots.

Trolling is a tried and traditional technique for tuna. Visit this post for detailed Tuna Trolling Info

Before going tuna fishing, you must make sure you are equipped with the necessary fishing gears. First of all, you must get a suitable fishing line. A 15kg gear is sufficient for fishing albacore tuna. You will need a rod that is rated for 20 – 30 lb mono. The reel must be strong enough to hold 250+ yards of 25 lb mono. This will ensure that the mono won’t easily get bitten off by the tuna.

How to catch Albacore Tuna – Lures to use, methods, tips and tricks.

Glittery baits that are designed to troll at high speed can be used in the day time. In the late evening, you can use darker color lures. The ideal length of the lure for catching albacore tuna is 3″ – 4″. Different types of baits are hooked differently, for example, when you use a anchovies bait, you must hook it with the mouth closed. The hook must be strong and sharp, for example, the 4/0 hooks.

Catching Albacore Tuna
Catching Albacore Tuna

The bait is to be installed  in the correct position behind the boat. To get an idea of what bait to use, you can check out the stomach of the first tuna you caught. When you cut open its belly, you’ll be able to see what size and type of bait inside. The size of the bait you use must match the size of the hook. Many anglers have successfully used baits like hex head, yo zuri squid lip rupper, tuna ‘P’nut and mackerel maulers to catch tuna.

To get the tuna to swim up to the surface, you must stir up some commotion, for example dragging an old tire behind the boat. When they are stirred in excitement, they will come up and bite on any bait they see. You can mix 5 – 6 baits to create your own school of fish in order to attract the tuna up to the surface. Typically, it will take about 1 hour to get the tuna into the boat once it bite on the bait.

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What is the Best Bait for Skipjack Tuna

What is the Best Bait for Skipjack Tuna

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Skipjack tuna, also known as Katsuwonus pelamis, is a small tuna species mainly found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Their feeding time occurs in the late afternoon. During this time, they will swarm in large schools to feed on baitfish on the ocean surface. Skipjack tunas eat various types of fishes in their diets including anchovies, mackerels, and herrings.

For skipjack tuna, most fishermen would use artificial lures to catch them. Examples of artificial baits that have produced good results are plastic skirts, shiny metal spoon, plastic squid, lead-head jigs, bibless minnows, pilchards, and other soft plastics. You have to experiment yourself to find out the best size and color of artificial lures to catch them.

You can also catch tuna with a real bait. If you want to use real bait, you should use live baits like anchovies, mackerel, sand eels and sardines. Dead baits can be used too but a bait that is alive will be better as it will be able to move and generate some actions in the water.

The most popular method of catching skipjack tuna is trolling with 2 – 4 lures. The speed at which you are trolling is very important.  When using small lures, you should troll at 4 – 6 knots. While trolling, you are to look out for Skipjack feeding on the surface. One easy way to spot them is to look out for diving birds like Gannets. When you spot them, cast your fishing line just in front of school taking care that there is a distance away.

There should be at least four rods set up in your boat, with the lures on 2 rods reaching as far as 30 m and the lures on the other 2 rods reaching as close as 15 m. If you only have 2 rods, you can set up one to 30 m and the other one to cover up to 15m. In this way, you will have covered the nearer and further areas when the skipjack swim towards your boat.

Hiring a fishing charter with modern technology is a must. But, you must also be educated with basics like knowing what different behavior of birds mean and knowing how to read the SST chart. Reading the SST chart allows you to find out about the sea current movement to find out where the tuna is traveling.

Before setting out, make sure you are equipped with with a large spinning reel that can be spooled up to a long distance. The reason is that skipjack tuna is a good swimmer and it will swim at a high speed when caught. Equipping yourself with a long spinning reel ensures a smooth drag.

Most of the Skipjack tuna that are caught weigh in the range of 5 – 15 pounds. They fight hard when being caught so you must know how to handle it. As soon as it is killed, you must place it on the ice otherwise you may suffer from scombrois poisoning when eating the meat.

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How to Catch Big Bluefin Tuna

How to Catch Big Bluefin Tuna

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Bluefin tuna, also called true tunas, is a big tuna species with a metallic blue on top and silver white at the bottom. It can grow up to a size that is longer than 15 feet. The biggest bluefin tuna ever caught weighed more than 1500 pounds.




Bluefin tuna is a migratory fish that has the habit of traveling to and fro from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico or Mediterranean Sea. The Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean seas are common places for bluefin tuna to spawn. They can also be found in other ocean such as Eastern Atlantic, Black Sea, North American coast and sometimes in the cold waters of the Iceland ocean.

Large schools of bluefin tunas will be present in the Australia Atlantic ocean around March and continue to stay there until June or July. Therefore, the best time to set out with your fishing charter is in these months. You can catch them offshore most of the time although it is also possible to catch them close to shore sometimes. You can put out your boat offshore as far as 50 NM to catch bluefin tuna.

Bluefin tuna likes to ride on the sea current. So, before going out on fishing trip, check the sea currents of that day and you will know where to track down the tuna. The ideal setting for the Bluefin tuna to come schooling on the surface is a water temperature between 16 – 18 degrees celcius and a clear ocean water. However, sometimes, they may also appear when the temperature is slightly lower or higher.

Beginners who want to learn how to catch tuna should learn to look out for signs like schools of baitfish on the surface. Sometimes, movement of the surface water means there is a school of baitfish swimming just below the surface. Often, you can also see flocks of diving sea birds like terns that fly close to the surface. If there is, chances are they are schools of bait fish nearby and the big bluefin could be there to catch them for meals.

You are to throw your bait as close to where the birds are. Once you have thrown the bait, don’t expect the fist will bite instantly. It will take a few minutes for the fish to find the bait. When the fish is biting, get ready to throw the baits so that it will keep following. The key is to keep on throwing the bait until it swims near to the boat. For your bait, you should use something that the bluefish likes to eat like squid, and pilchards.

Before you can fish for bluefin tuna in north america, you need to get a permit. This is because bluefin tuna is a strictly regulated fish. If you follow a charter excursion, the captain will have already obtained the necessary permit. You also need to have a license if you want to sell the catch. You can call the NFMS at 1-888-USA-TUNA to ask questions about the fishing regulations and find out your daily catch quota.

 

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