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Are you thinking about fishing for yellowfin tuna? Do you want to learn how to catch yellowfin tuna? Yellowfin tuna fight hard, swims very fast, has a lot of stamina and strength. Additionally, it is a great-tasting fish. It can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Yellowfin tuna is constantly migrating and are available all year round.
In this article, we discuss how to catch yellowfin tuna and share fishing tips and tricks, best baits and lures, as well as fishing tackle to help you land these great and tasty gamefish.
Table of Contents
- 1 How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna
- 2 Best Baits For Yellowfin Tuna
- 3 Best Lures For Yellowfin Tuna
- 4 Yellowfin Tuna Fishing Tackle
- 5 How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna In The Florida Keys
- 6 How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna In New Jersey
- 7 How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna In The Gulf of Mexico
- 8 Bluefin Tuna vs Yellowfin Tuna
- 9 Yellowfin Tuna Fishing Tips
- 10 The Bottom Line
How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna
1. Trolling
Trolling is one fishing method that can be used to catch yellowfin tuna. When trolling for yellowfin tuna, the more lines in the water, the better your chances of catching yellowfin. Tuna feathers, cedar plugs, Rapala plugs, and plastic skirted trolling lures work well.
2. Baitcasting
Baitcasting can also be used to catch yellowfin tuna. You can cast a bait or lure into the water and retrieve them. Cast and retrieve until you get a bite. Poppers can be used when casting the bait for them.
3. Chumming
Chumming is another fishing method used by anglers to catch yellowfin tuna. Chunks of cut bait or live bait are dropped into the water to attract fish. When they are attracted to the chum and are in a feeding frenzy, you can then drop your bait to hook and reel them in. Chumming is a good fishing method that you can use to learn how to catch yellowfin tuna if you are a beginner.
4. Kite Fishing
Kite fishing is another fishing method that can be used when fishing for yellowfin tuna. When kite fishing, the bait moves through the water just below the surface of the water. The bait is suspended and is just underneath the surface of the water. You can use goggle eyes when kite fishing for yellowfin tuna.
Rig a three-way swivel to target two yellowfin tunas at once. Additionally, slow-trolling a live Skipjack will work when fishing for monster yellowfin tunas.
5. Chunking
Chunking is another fishing method to catch yellowfin tuna if you don’t have live bait. As you drift or anchor the boat, drop chunks of cut bait into the water to create a trail that will lead the fish to your hook baits. Chunking is similar to chumming but is a more subtle way of catching fish. It is also a good way to fish if you are learning how to catch yellowfin tuna.
Yellowfin tuna has good eyesight therefore the leader you use is very important. The leader’s diameter, tackle size, and bait placement are important for success with chunking. Additionally, proper presentation of the bait on the hook is crucial for yellowfin to bite.
6. Vertical Jigging
Vertical jigging can also be used to catch yellowfin tuna when fishing on inshore grounds. When vertical jigging, you drop the bait into the water and let it drop to the bottom or in the water column where you are targeting yellowfin tuna. Then move it up the water column to get the attention of fish and get a bite.
Best Baits For Yellowfin Tuna
- Squid
Squid works well as bait when fishing for yellowfin tuna. If you are learning how to catch yellowfin tuna, strips of yellowfin tuna can be used when fishing for yellowfin tuna.
2. Mackerel
Mackerel is another fish that can be used as bait when fishing for yellowfin tuna.
3. Sardines
Sardines are effective when fishing for yellowfin tuna.
4. Pogies
Pogies work well when fishing for yellowfin tunas.
5. Small crabs
Small crabs are very effective when fishing for yellowfin tuna.
6. Anchovies
Anchovies work well as bait for yellowfin tuna.
Best Lures For Yellowfin Tuna
- Diving plugs
Diving plugs work well when targeting yellowfin tuna in deep water columns.
2. Cedar plugs
Cedar plugs are lures that work well to attract yellowfin tuna.
Yellowfin Tuna Fishing Tackle
You can target yellowfin tuna in different sizes; therefore the tackle you use depends on the size of the fish you are targeting. Light tackle can be used for yellowfin tuna in the 10-15 lb range. On the other hand, large yellowfin tuna will require heavy tackle as they are strong, have stamina, and are great fighters. You will also need about 100 lb of braided line.
Circle hooks are a good choice when fishing for yellowfin tuna as it makes it easy to set in. Additionally, yellowfin tuna has good eyesight and fluorocarbon leaders will work well to prevent the fish from seeing your line. If they spot anything funny, yellowfin tuna will avoid your bait.
How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna In The Florida Keys
Fishing yellowfin tuna in the Florida Keys can be challenging, exciting, and rewarding. There are many fishing methods that anglers use to catch yellowfin tuna such as trolling and chumming.
- Trolling
When fishing for yellowfin tuna in the Florida Keys, trolling with lures like squid-imitation lures will work well.
2. Chumming
Chumming works well also when fishing for yellowfin when fishing in the Florida Keys. Cut baits work well when you are chumming for yellowfin tuna.
How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna In New Jersey
Fishing for yellowfin tuna in New Jersey is exciting and productive. There are many fishing methods that can be used to catch yellowfin tuna like trolling, chunking, and vertical jigging.
1. Trolling
When fishing for yellowfin tuna in New Jersey, like the canyons off the coast, trolling is one of the methods. When trolling, as the boat moves slowly, the bait is moving at the back of the
boat.
When there is a bite, you take control and reel in the fish. Fluorocarbon leaders are the best to use when trolling as yellowfin tuna have good eyesight. Spoons, plugs, jigs, feathers, flies, and poppers can be used when trolling for yellowfin tunas.
2. Chunking
Chunking is another fishing method used when fishing for yellowfin tunas. You drop chunks of bait into the water to attract the fish. Chunking at night is even more productive in New Jersey.
3. Vertical Jigging
Vertical jigging can also be used to catch yellowfin tuna. When the yellowfin tuna is deep in the water column, you can drop jigs into the water column and slowly pull it up to attract yellowfin tuna to bite.
How To Catch Yellowfin Tuna In The Gulf of Mexico
1. Trolling
Trolling can be used when fishing for yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. You can use baits such as poggies, threadfins, pilchards, cigar minnows, ballyhoos, and blue runners.
2. Chunking
Chunking can also be used when fishing for yellowfin tuna. When chunking, you drop chunks of bait into the water to attract yellowfin tuna closer to you. You can also use poggies, pilchards, blue runners, cigar minnows, and other baits in the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Live Baiting
Live baiting is one of the easiest and most popular fishing methods used when fishing for yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. Pilchards, squid, menhaden, herring, and blue runners are some of the baits that can be used.
Bluefin Tuna vs Yellowfin Tuna
| Bluefin Tuna | Yellowfin Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Pectoral fin | Shorter than that of yellowfin tuna |
Longer than that of bluefin tuna |
| Color |
Dark blue color on the tail and around dorsal |
Bright yellow on fins, tails |
| Size | Larger than Yellowfin tuna | Smaller than Bluefin tuna |
| Pectoral Fin Length | Smaller than that of yellowfin tuna | Longer than that of bluefin tuna |
| Temperature Preference | Prefers colder temperatures | Prefers warmer waters |
Yellowfin Tuna Fishing Tips
- Yellowfin tuna can be found all year round.
2. When you are fishing for yellowfin tuna, if there are birds circling in the sky above the waters, that is a good sign that yellowfin tuna may be available.
3. Yellowfin tuna migrate throughout the entire year as they are hunted by many predators.
4. Yellowfin tuna can adjust to both warm and cold water.
5. Yellowfin tuna will put up a serious fight when hooked.
6. Yellowfin tuna is a schooling fish.
7. Yellowfin tuna swim at a very fast pace. Therefore, you should try to get in front of a moving school and drop your lures to get a bite.
8. Trolling, chumming, chunking, vertical jigging, and live baiting are some of the best fishing methods used to catch yellowfin tuna.
The Bottom Line
Yellowfin tuna are great gamefish. They are fast, powerful, fight hard, and have a lot of stamina. This makes it very challenging when fishing for yellowfin tuna. They are available all year round and can be found in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans.
In this article, we discussed how to catch yellowfin tuna, shared information about the fishing methods, baits, and lures, as well as fishing tackle to successfully catch yellowfin tuna. You can also read how to catch blackfin tuna, how to catch bigeye tuna, how to catch Albacore tuna, and how to catch bonito.
