Tuna Fishing

by | Apr 7, 2015 | Fish

Tuna

Yellow Fin Tuna Fishing

Searching for an amazing fish story to tell? Consider yellow fin tuna fishing in Charleston South Carolina. Although found in Charleston all year round, the season for these fish is considered ‘excellent’ from August through March and ‘very good’ for the remaining four months.

The fish’s abundance, and their size (200 pounds is not uncommon) put this target sport fish high on anyone’s list which comes to South Carolina for a fishing vacation. The species is one of the biggest of the tuna family. Thunnus albacares is one of the largest tunas and is known to achieve weights exceeding 300 pounds.

In 1977, a yellowfin caught off of the Mexican Pacific coast set the current IGFA record. However, in 2010, a yellowfin of 405 pounds was landed, also in Mexican waters. This record has not yet been officially validated by the IGFA.

Given the massive numbers of yellowfin in Charleston, perhaps it won’t be long until we see a record set in South Carolina for this sought-after fighter. A dark metallic blue body with a silver underbelly striped with black, and brilliant yellow dorsal and anal fins give this fish its name.

Typically, the Yellow Fin Tuna is found in the uppermost hundred meters of the sea but given their strength and speed they are capable of diving much deeper. They are most often found in deep water offshore but will often move in closer when temperatures and prey are conducive to hunting.

Areas like Charleston ­ with its many groups of small islands provide ample habitat for the baitfish yellow-fin are apt to target and can draw the tuna in further to shore and shallower waters. Yellow Fin Tuna run in schools, normally with other fish of like size. Sometimes they will school with other kinds of tuna like the skipjack. Different species of big marine mammals like whales and dolphins are often found in the same waters as schools of Yellow Fin Tuna. Humpback whales that come to Charleston­ in August and September to bear their young in the warm waters surrounding the islands here often coincide with large schools of Yellow Fin Tuna.

What Tuna Eat

The tuna’s favorite food is made up of a variety of crustaceans, schooling squid and other, smaller fish. Yellow Fin Tuna is rapid swimmers with great agility and is able to target their prey with deadly accuracy. Smaller species of tuna are often taken as are anchovies, sardines, and mackerel. In turn, the yellowfin tuna is prey for blue and black marlin, toothed whales and all kinds of sharks.

Fishermen admire the yellowfin for its speed and strength and for the stamina it brings to the fight. Among all of the tuna species, many anglers consider that, size being equal; this species is the ultimate fighter among tunas.

Moreover, this fish is great eating. Known in culinary terms as ‘ahi’ the Yellow Fin Tuna takes its place in the gourmet pantheon rivaled by few other fish.

Tips on Fishing For Tuna

  • How To Tuna Fish – Tuna requires a whole lot of patience. When you cast the line you better be set to use your strength and flexibility. This is because of to the fact that tuna are extremely strong and agile in water. That is why you will need the help of the captain’s mate.
  • Trolling Use A Lure – The lure you want to use will depend on what kind of tuna fish you can lure in. Lures can arrive in various designs measurements and styles.
  • Choose the Recommended Lures by Anglers for Beginners – The tuna fishing technique in trolling is to set the outriggers. These are lines that are stretched on the boat side. As far as yellow fin tuna fishing in South Carolina goes, the angler can expect either a sublime or a frustrating experience. They are sometimes defined by their uncanny ability to resist all the angler’s efforts in spite of being thick and boiling in the sea.
  • Fish are Smart Hunters and Can Detect with Precision Anything That ‘Smells Fishy’ – The best strategy is to bait the hook with whatever they happen to be feeding on that day or a reasonably realistic facsimile. One fishing method that has become extremely popular in South Carolina saltwater fishing lately for the sheer sport enjoyed is casting large poppers on the surface to the tuna. Few thrills can equal the sight of a hundred pounder leaping out of the water to grab your bait on the surface. This requires the fisherman to be strong and resilient, but it can be a very gratifying and exhilarating way to fish a Yellow Fin Tuna.