Yellowfin Tuna Fishing Guide

The yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is the workhorse of the offshore fishery from North Carolina to Texas and across the Pacific, combining excellent table quality with near-worldwide abundance in tropical and subtropical waters. Large adult yellowfin are unmistakable — the dramatically elongated dorsal and anal fins in fish over 150 pounds are unlike any other tuna. Yellowfin are known for hunting cooperatively with spinner dolphins and pilot whales — commercial fisheries in the eastern Pacific controversially set nets on dolphin schools to target the associated yellowfin. The Gulf of Mexico holds excellent yellowfin fisheries around oil platforms and underwater pinnacles, with fish averaging 20–80 pounds year-round. Bigeye tuna and yellowfin occupy overlapping ranges but bigeye tend to be deeper, particularly during daylight.

Yellowfin Tuna is a saltwater species.

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical offshore waters worldwide between roughly 45°N and 45°S; in US waters, the Gulf of Mexico (particularly around offshore platforms), the Atlantic Gulf Stream, and the Pacific off California/Hawaii. A pelagic schooling fish found from the surface to 300+ feet, concentrating at temperature breaks and current edges.

Diet

Flying fish, squid, anchovy, mackerel, and virtually any available schooling baitfish. Yellowfin often feed near the surface on flying fish at dawn — a behavior exploited by trollers using ballyhoo and flying fish imitations — and also feed deep on squid and small fish during the day.

Fishing Techniques

Best Seasons

Summer, Fall

Size & Records

Average weight: 60 lbs. World record: 427 lbs (San Benedicto Island, Mexico (2012)).