UTERAtlantic bluefin tuna fishing in Delaware Bay and Ocean City
In Delaware Bay and Ocean City, Atlantic bluefin tuna peak June–July and are around May–August and November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: School bluefin on the Jackspot, the Hambone and the 20-fathom lumps; trolled spreader bars and chunking.
Not in Delaware Bay and Ocean City this month.
Atlantic bluefin tuna in Delaware Bay and Ocean City, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayArriving
- JunePeakSchool bluefin on the Jackspot, the Hambone and the 20-fathom lumps; trolled spreader bars and chunking.
- JulyPeak
- AugustAround
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberAround
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Atlantic bluefin tuna near Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City
Delaware Bay's big, shoaly estuary with the lumps and sloughs off Slaughter Beach and the Coral Beds; the Delaware, Maryland and Assateague surf; the inland bays and back bays behind them (Rehoboth, Indian River, Assawoman, Sinepuxent, Chincoteague); Virginia's wild seaside barrier islands; and the offshore lumps (Jackspot, Hambone) out to Baltimore, Poor Man's and Washington canyons.
Fish Scouter charts 150 wreck, 52 artificial reef, 1 ledge / hard bottom spots in the Delmarva & Delaware Bay map area — the kinds Atlantic bluefin tuna hold on.
What to use for Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 50–76°F water, best at 58–70°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Peak season is June–July. Atlantic bluefin tuna are in Delaware Bay and Ocean City May–August and November. June: School bluefin on the Jackspot, the Hambone and the 20-fathom lumps; trolled spreader bars and chunking.
Where do Atlantic bluefin tuna hold in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Look on ledge / hard bottom, wreck, artificial reef — around Lewes, Indian River Inlet, Ocean City, Chincoteague, Wachapreague, Cape May.
What is the best bait for Atlantic bluefin tuna in Delaware Bay and Ocean City?
Live bait: menhaden (pogies), squid, herring, sand eels. Menhaden (pogies): Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
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All about Atlantic bluefin tuna · Delmarva & Delaware Bay, the whole year