Want to know how to catch a tuna in the Gulf of Mexico? The answer is to troll with live bait or a large chunk of cut bait. There are a handful of tuna species in the Gulf and many of the other big-game fish will rise to a nice chunk of cut bait or a larger live bait offering.
Spotting The Tuna Species
Once you hit the gulf you want to look for deep water. Water temperature also plays a big role in where tuna are located as the temperature of the water will impact where the bait fish are feeding.
Yellowfin Tuna – 240 pounds is the Florida Record [1]
- Best Bait – Live bait works best, but you can do well with a whole fish carcass too. Menhaden is a top option as are mullet, and threadfin herring. While bait is important, it must be paired with the correct trolling speed. You want your bait to sit just under the water’s surface. If it is too deep the tuna may bypass it. If it is bouncing on the top of the water the tuna will likely ignore it. Trolling speeds of 4–7 knots are ideal.
- Best Destinations – Louisiana to Florida offer some of the best tuna fishing in the Gulf. The deep water off of Destin, Florida is a big game fish haven.
- What To Look For – Warm top water around 72° F range. Tuna feed in the top water column over deep water. Look for the correct water temperature to 300 feet deep. Visually, look for birds feeding on the surface, which indicates a surface school of baitfish. You can also look for rippled water – the tuna swim and disrupt the water’s surface as they chase baitfish. If you are in the thick of a hunt, you might even see small baitfish jumping out of the water.
Further Reading for Yellowfin
Little Tunny – The False Albacore – Record 35.3 pounds
- Best Bait – many options work well. Live bait and cut bait are two of the best, but you can also use flies, jigs, and lures – feather lures work well.
- Best Destinations – Coastal waters to deep waters throughout the Gulf of Mexico all the way up the Atlantic seaboard. In short, they are everywhere and as a schooling fish, you will need to see the signs of their presence to nail them.
- What To Look For – Flocks of birds feeding -diving, calling, crying, and more diving – structures from wrecks to reefs, water temperature from 60-80° F. If you find baitfish, you will likely find little tunny.
Bluefin – Record 826.5 Pounds – Destin, Florida
- Best Bait – Live or cut bait is your best option. Bluefin prefer herring, squid, and skipjack. Bigger baitfish will work and help you to attract larger tuna.
- Best Destinations – Destin, Florida is one of the best due to the way the coastal waters and continental shelf slope quickly into deep water. In the sloping water is where you will find bluefin.
- What To Look For – The margin where coastal waters become deep waters. That zone is a hunting ground for bluefin which are chasing baitfish, skipjacks, herring, etc.
Skipjack – Record 33 pounds 8 ounces
- Best Bait – Herring is an excellent bait for skipjack – live or as cut bait. They also respond to jigs and lures, such as swimbaits and plugs.
- Best Destinations – Skipjack tuna are all over the place. If you are looking for younger fish for bait, stay inshore near structures. If you are looking for the bigger adults, they are often mixed with yellowfin tuna on the hunt.
- What To Look For – Baitfish balls are an excellent indicator of skipjack. These are schooling predatory tuna, and they will seek big masses of baitfish. Look for diving birds feeding on baitfish and fish near structures such as wrecks, and reefs where baitfish may seek shelter from predation.
How To Catch Tuna
April is the best spring month to fish tuna off of Florida. The next opportunity is November and December which is when the fall/winter runs peak. Tuna are present year-round, but peak season and their migratory nature mean that the best time to catch tuna is when their season peaks.
The best way to catch Tuna is by trolling with live bait or whole dead bait. Sometimes jigs and spoons or lures will work, but mostly that is species-specific. The smaller tuna can be taken with many different bait types – flies, jigs, lures, live bait, etc. If you are targeting trophy tuna, then live or whole dead bait is ideal.
Tuna Fishing Techniques
Trolling
Trolling is the act of towing your bait and hook behind the boat generally at slow speeds. There is an art to trolling, and you can learn how it works on most charter boats. The speed by which you troll will vary depending on the type of bait you use. The bait should be just under the water’s surface and not bouncing on the top of the water. The size of your bait will act differently at different trolling speeds. You can adjust the speed to keep the bait where it belongs.
Chumming
Chumming is the act of adding fish, fish juice, fish oil, or live fish to the water in hopes of attracting big game fish to your boat. You can chum for tuna and the method works well for the smaller species since they swim in schools. The big species of tuna may congregate around chum or baitfish schools and follow them. Bluefin tuna also swim in schools, and they consume a lot of fish It would take a lot of chum to keep a school of bluefin tuna near your boat. These fish are constantly moving and chasing baitfish such as herring.
Fly Fishing
Because the smaller species of tuna feed near the surface and in schools, you can fly fish for them. Pink streamers and fish mimics are two types of flies that may attract Little Tunny and Skipjack Tuna.
Tuna Fishing Tips
Bait Options
Most species of tuna will prefer live bait, and you want to size the bait to the species. For example, bluefin tuna need a larger hunk of bait than skipjack tuna. You can also use cut bait and you want to make sure that is an oily fish that will leave a trail. Some tuna will take jigs and lures. All will take live bait. If you are not catching tuna you should consider switching to another type of bait – live, dead, or artificial.
Trolling Speeds
Presenting bait to tuna is an equal part of bait selection and boat speed. Trolling for tuna is one of the most effective ways to catch them. To do that effectively, you need to keep the bait swimming just under the water’s surface. If you troll too quickly the bait will bounce along the top of the water and tuna will have a difficult time taking it. If the speed is too slow the live bait will swim all over the place and make it difficult for the tuna to take it. If you use dead, whole fish for bait, the swim nature of the fish in the wake, will be gentle and easy for the tuna to take it. Under 7 knots is generally a good place to start.
The Right Gear
Rods – The fishing rod needs to be stout. Many anglers prefer rods in the 5′ 6″ to 6-foot length. You want the rod to be able to clear the boat but also provide enough leverage to tire out the fish.
Reels – A 4,000 series reel is a good middle ground. If your options include a pound number aim for a 130-pound reel. Charter boats will have all the gear dialed in and ready to go.
Line – Some anglers prefer braided line, but mono has been the standard for big fish for a while.
Lures – Fishing for tuna is a big industry, and you will find lures specific to tuna. Most are mimics of live bait, such as flying fish lures, squid lures, herring lures, etc. When choosing a lure keep it simple and try to match the food sources that tuna naturally consume. These are big, predatory fish that have honed the art of eating into a very streamlined set of instincts. Mimic what tuna eat naturally.
Clothing – Dress to be comfortable – warm, dry, cool – the weather will be variable, wet, windy, salty, and hot all at the same time. The three most important pieces of clothing for tuna fishing are:
- Skid-proof shoes
- Polarized sunglasses
- A hat with a brim
Fill in the rest with safety and comfort in mind.
Gulf Coast Laws
Fishing regulations change from one day to the next. Be sure to stay up to date on current regulations by visiting the Fish and Game Authority site for the state in which you fish. In addition, you will need to not only pay attention to state regulations but also to federal regulations too.
Currently – 2023
Skipjack and Albacore have no size restriction.
Yellowfin must be 27″ or longer from the nose to the tail fork with three yellowfin being the bag limit per trip.
Bluefin – Federal regulations are currently not permitting the targeting of bluefin tuna in the Gulf since it is an area where they spawn. This rule may be subject to change based on current conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Big Does a Tuna Fish Get? – Bluefin is the largest of the tuna species and a giant fish can be 13 feet long and weigh 2,000 pounds.
- Where Can You Catch Tuna? – Tuna fish are available in all tropical and subtropical waters. The Gulf of Mexico is a natural area for tuna and one of the world’s top destinations includes the Gulf waters off of Florida.
- What Do Tuna Fish Eat? – Tuna feed on baitfish, shrimp, squid, and some crustaceans. The biggest part of their diet is small fish, such as herring, menhaden, Cigar minnows, etc.
Sources for World Record Fish:
Yellowfin Tuna – Florida Sportsman
World Record Saltwater Fish (Complete Chart)