Been thinking about going tuna fishing? Here's where you want to go.
Interestingly, tuna fishing can be had worldwide, so for the sportfishermen that enjoy traveling to catch these brutes, there's a lot to love. But they can be caught right here in North America, too, and there are several tried and true areas you can pick from.
As far as sought-after saltwater species, they rank right up there with the blue marlin and mahi mahi. Our home waters can offer anglers some incredible fishing trips for tuna, but here's the thing: Tuna are big, bad, and powerful. You'd better be ready with the right gear and have good physical fitness if you want to stand any chance at landing these pelagic fish.
Here's a look at the areas where tuna anglers have the best odds of success.
Best Tuna Fishing Spots in North America
Stellwagen Bank, Massachusetts Bay
This Cape Cod, Massachusetts area is replete with opportunities to catch big Atlantic bluefin tuna, the drag-ripping species that grows to insane sizes of muscle and fin.
Many charter boat captains will tell you that there is almost always bait at the Stellwagen Bank, since it provides big currents and lots of depth changes to hold the food chain in place. It's the ultimate in offshore fishing.
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Cape Hatteras is a part of the esteemed Outer Banks and it offers some amazing bluefin tuna fishing.
It is well known that bluefin show up around November, often remaining in these waters through May. Maybe the best part is that the early-season bluefin action starts further inshore, sometimes less than 10 miles from the beach, making them a target in not-so-deep water.
Venice, Louisiana
Let's switch over to one of the best fisheries there is for tuna: the yellowfin tuna waters off of Venice, Louisiana. This ultra consistent area in the Gulf of Mexico is near the mouth of the Mississippi River and has some of the most productive waters anywhere for big yellowfin tuna.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
This particular area is not only well known as having some great yellowfin tuna angling, but these distinct tuna are known as some of the largest fish that the species has to offer.
Prime yellowfin tuna season in this area is from late spring, through the summer months, and into the early part of the fall.
Prince Edward Island, Canada
The Canadian Maritimes of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia may have some of the most incredible bluefin tuna fishing in the world, and the record books reflect it. You may need to hook into a 1,000-pound fish to say that you've battled a "big one," and it's entirely possible here.
The IGFA all-tackle world record bluefin tuna comes in just shy of 1,500 pounds and was caught off Nova Scotia.
All of the Tuna to Target
There are 15 species of tuna, including albacore tuna, bigeye, black skipjack, blackfin, bluefin, bullet, frigate, kawakawa, little tunny, longtail, skipjack, slender, and yellowfin. If you count the three different species of bluefin tuna (Atlantic, Pacific, and southern), it rounds out the bunch.
Saltwater sportfishing for tuna, whether in the Atlantic Ocean gulf stream, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Pacific Ocean around the Baja Peninsula, can offer a full day of amazing action for big bluefin as much as it can create memories that will last a lifetime. And there are plenty of fishing charters in every spot just waiting to take you into some deep blue water for some seriously big fish.
Take them up on your offer, and when they help get a fish on your line, you won't be sorry that you did.
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NEXT: SALTWATER ANGLER DOWNS A TUNA HEART WITH A BEER SHOTGUN
