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Photo: OAR/National Undersea Research Program (NURP), Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Thunnus albacares
How to catch Yellowfin tuna
Yellowfin tuna feed in 72–84°F water and bite best at 74–80°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 16 waters; in October they are at their peak in The Louisiana Marsh, The Southern Outer Banks & Cape Fear, The Outer Banks and 5 more.
120 pts · trophy at 50"Feeds 72–84°FBest 74–80°FIn season nowLedge / hard bottomWreck
About
The big tuna: a hundred pounds and more, on the deepwater oil rigs off the Panhandle and the far edge of the Gulf Stream. A day and a night of running, and a fight that takes everything.
How to fish it
The deep rigs at night off the Panhandle — live hardtails, chunks in the current, a popper when they're up. Heavy stand-up tackle.
What it eats
live blue runners and hardtailschunked baittrolled lurespoppers on the surface
Live bait for it
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.
What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
Hook4/0–8/0
Braid50–100 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereFederal highly-migratory-species rules; a permit is required — confirm at MyFWC and NOAA HMS.
The current rule →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Florida
Gulf of Mexico
Mid & North Atlantic
Pacific
Alaska & Hawaii