Family Scombridae
Description: pectoral fin moderately long,
reaching point below beginning of second dorsal fin; second dorsal fin and all
finlets yellow; no white rear edge on caudal fin; golden stripe on side; second
dorsal and anal fins become much longer with age (to about 1/5 of total length);
eye small; 26 to 35 gill rakers
Size: to 2.1 meters (82 inches) and 176 kilograms (367 pounds)
Where found: offshore mostly bluewater; in or near the
Gulfstream
Yellowfin can be found in water with surface temperatures between 64F and 80F,
but prefer 72F to 73F
How To Catch Them:
- Trolling:
- Troll at 7 to 9 knots.
- Keep lures and baits well behind the boat, 300 to 600 feet.
- Keep ahead of visible schools. Determine which direction they are
moving, run past them, then turn the boat so that the spread passes in front of
the school.
- Pull dead ballyhoo rigged behind skirts or rubber and/or mylar
lures, trimmed short to expose the back half of the bait, or pull rubber and/or
mylar lures alone. Cedar plugs are also effective.
- Lures and baits should run at or near the surface, and should
splash and leave a good bubble trail. Use lures with flat or concave heads.
- Best lure/shirt colors: yellow/blue/green,
pink/purple/blue/black, red/black, purple/black.
- Different surface behaviors:
- Traveling under the surface: Moving schools will make the water
look as if a breeze is blowing over it - ruffled in calm seas, a patch of flat,
dimpled water in white capping seas. Get well ahead of them and drop trolled
lures/baits well back. Consider shutting off the engine and chumming to draw the
school to the boat, then chunk baits or jigs. Use a fast retrieve.
- Feeding on the surface: Troll the perimeter of the feeding school
and any visible bait schools. Use lures that are the same size as the schooling
baits.
- Rocketing: When tuna rocket out of the water while feeding they
will be moving fast. Troll the perimeter of the school at a fast speed, making
lures skip out of the water, and keep a close eye on the school's movement.