UTERAtlantic bluefin tuna fishing in Gulf of Maine fishing
In Gulf of Maine fishing, Atlantic bluefin tuna peak July–October and are around June–November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. July: Giants on Stellwagen Bank, Jeffreys Ledge and Ipswich Bay on live mackerel and herring.
Stripers leave; tuna and groundfish carry on. The last stripers head out early in the month; bluefin until the weather turns; haddock and pollock on the ledges.
Atlantic bluefin tuna in Gulf of Maine fishing, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneArrivingStripers on herring and mackerel; groundfish on the ledges. Live mackerel off the Maine ledges and Plum Island for stripers; haddock and pollock on Stellwagen, Jeffreys and Tillies; the first giant bluefin.
- JulyPeakGiants on Stellwagen Bank, Jeffreys Ledge and Ipswich Bay on live mackerel and herring.
- AugustPeakBluefin, pollock and the odd chopper. Tuna on the ledges and the banks; pollock and haddock on the party boats; choppers in Boston Harbor in the years they come.
- SeptemberPeakSeptember–October brings the largest fish; Maine's ledges too.
- OctoberPeakStripers leave; tuna and groundfish carry on. The last stripers head out early in the month; bluefin until the weather turns; haddock and pollock on the ledges.
- NovemberLeaving
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Atlantic bluefin tuna near Boston, Gloucester, Newburyport
Cold, deep, rocky water: Massachusetts Bay and Stellwagen Bank, the North Shore beaches and Plum Island, the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers, the Isles of Shoals and Jeffreys Ledge, and the long ragged Maine coast of rocky points, islands and tidal rivers (Saco, Kennebec, Penobscot) out to Platts Bank and Tillies.
Fish Scouter charts 361 wreck, 2 ledge / hard bottom spots in the The Gulf of Maine 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 Gulf of Maine fishing?
Peak season is July–October. Atlantic bluefin tuna are in Gulf of Maine fishing June–November. July: Giants on Stellwagen Bank, Jeffreys Ledge and Ipswich Bay on live mackerel and herring.
Where do Atlantic bluefin tuna hold in Gulf of Maine fishing?
Look on ledge / hard bottom, wreck, artificial reef — around Boston, Gloucester, Newburyport, Portsmouth, Portland, Boothbay.
What is the best bait for Atlantic bluefin tuna in Gulf of Maine fishing?
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.
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All about Atlantic bluefin tuna · The Gulf of Maine, the whole year