UTER
Photo: James-LaFontaine, CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thunnus atlanticus
How to catch Blackfin tuna
Blackfin tuna feed in 70–86°F water and bite best at 74–82°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 14 waters; in October they are at their peak in The Florida Keys, Miami & Biscayne Bay, Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast and 9 more.
60 pts · trophy at 32"Feeds 70–86°FBest 74–82°FIn season nowWreckLedge / hard bottomArtificial reef
About
The small tuna of the Gulf Stream and the deep Gulf rigs: black on top, a gold stripe, twenty to forty pounds of speed on the humps at dawn. Sashimi on the boat.
How to fish it
Chum on the hump at first light with live pilchards and free-line one on a small circle hook; or troll small feathers over the temperature breaks.
What it eats
live pilchards in the chumsmall feathers and cedar plugsvertical jigsflying fish
Live bait for it
Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
Threadfin herring (greenbacks)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined, or slow-trolled. Fragile — handle them wet and fast.
Goggle-eyesBridled through the eye sockets for sailfish and kingfish, kite-fished or slow-trolled.What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
Hook4/0–8/0
Braid50–100 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereBag limit applies — confirm at MyFWC.
The current rule →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Florida
Gulf of Mexico