UTERYellowfin tuna fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, yellowfin tuna peak April–September and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Yellowfin on the deepwater rigs.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Yellowfin tuna in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilPeak
- MayPeak
- JunePeakYellowfin on the deepwater rigs.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberAround
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish yellowfin tuna near Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi
The Mississippi Sound behind Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois islands, the Biloxi Marsh to the west, Mobile Bay and the Mobile–Tensaw Delta, the Dauphin Island bridge and causeway, Perdido Bay and the Alabama beaches — with the world's biggest artificial-reef zone just offshore of Orange Beach.
Fish Scouter charts 502 wreck, 44 ledge / hard bottom spots in the Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay map area — the kinds yellowfin tuna hold on.
What to use for yellowfin tuna
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- Threadfin herring (greenbacks)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined, or slow-trolled. Fragile — handle them wet and fast.
- Opelu (mackerel scad)Bridled live and slow-trolled or drifted down for ahi, ono and marlin; cut for bottom fishing.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 72–84°F water, best at 74–80°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch yellowfin tuna in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is April–September. Yellowfin tuna are here year-round. June: Yellowfin on the deepwater rigs.
Where do yellowfin tuna hold in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Look on wreck — around Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Dauphin Island.
What is the best bait for yellowfin tuna in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: blue runners (hardtails), menhaden (pogies), threadfin herring (greenbacks), opelu (mackerel scad). Blue runners (hardtails): Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia. 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 yellowfin tuna · Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay, the whole year