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Everything to Know About Booking a blackfin tuna fishing charter
What are the best blackfin tuna fishing charters?
Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 209 blackfin tuna trips, and the most popular trips are South Padre Island Deep Sea Fishing guided by Emilio, Going Deep - 35' Sea Hunter guided by Michael, and 6 Hour Offshore - 40' Key West guided by Paul.
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What types of blackfin tuna fishing charters are common?
Deep Sea fishing is the most popular for blackfin tuna as well as nearshore fishing, inshore fishing, and flats fishing.
The most common fishing techniques are trolling, heavy tackle fishing, and bottom fishing but jigging and live bait fishing are popular as well.
How much do blackfin tuna fishing charters cost?
for blackfin tuna prices can range anywhere from $520 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a half day for blackfin tuna is $1,137. The average price for a full day for blackfin tuna is $2,373.
When is the best month to go blackfin tuna fishing?
The most popular season for blackfin tuna fishing is summer, and most anglers book their trips 69 days in advance.
Do I need a fishing license for blackfin tuna and what are the bag limits for blackfin tuna?
See here for more information on blackfin tuna fishing licenses, blackfin tuna bag limits, and fishing season regulations for blackfin tuna. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right blackfin tuna rules and regulations.
What is a Blackfin Tuna?
Blackfin tuna - the youngest brother of yellowfin and bluefin tuna - is the smallest member of the tuna family but this doesn’t mean you should count them out as a fun gamefish and a tasty meal. They can be found throughout the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico in deep water, often staying in schools closer to the surface.
They are similar in appearance to a mini bluefin, with oval shaped bodies, black backs, and silver sides and underbelly. They generally swim together, and when you’re on a group of blackfin you can get a number in the boat - they have a strong bite and run in packs. They prefer warmer waters (over 68 degrees) although they are known to swim north or south somewhat with the seasons.
How big do Blackfin Tuna get?
Blackfin tuna are a fast-growing, short-lived species. They reach sexual maturity at around 2 years and will spawn for another 2-3 years before dying.
They are the smallest tuna of their genus Thunnus, and will grow to a max size of about 40 inches and just over 40 pounds (compared this to a bluefin, which can grow to 1500 pounds). A good day is a haul of blackfin from 15 to 25 pounds. An average fish caught might be somewhere in the 7-10 pound range.
What's the biggest Blackfin Tuna ever caught?
The all-tackle world record blackfin tuna is 45 pounds 8 ounces caught off the coast of Florida.
Where is the best place to catch Blackfin Tuna?
While most tuna species have a broad range, that of the blackfin tuna is a bit more limited. They only inhabit tropical and sometimes temperate waters in the western Atlantic Ocean, mostly remaining south of Virginia and north of Brazil, inhabiting everything in between including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Within this range, blackfin can be somewhat migratory depending on the water temperature and season, but htey always prefer deeper water with plenty of nutrients. They can often be found on offshore structure like oil rigs or current rips, or in areas where underwater structure like reefs or humps can push nutrients up to them.
When should I catch Blackfin Tuna?
Blackfin are migratory depending on the season and try to stick with waters close to 70 degrees, so in the summer they can move to more temperate waters. The season is always open in the US with no bag limit or size limit, and anglers can catch blackfin year-round if they can find them.
### How do you catch Blackfin Tuna?
Tuna are generally low-light feeders who spend the majority of their time below the surface hunting squid (their large eyes help here). While blackfin are not terribly different, they can often spend more time near the surface than some other tunas. They are known to migrate vertically throughout the water column in order to feed, so a good angler will try a few different depths to get on them. Early morning and late afternoon are when they are most likely to be close to the surface, although the bigger blackfin will usually stay deeper.
The best way to catch smaller blackfin can be just trolling the surface, but if you want bigger fish you can chunk bait, and it can be good to try to bring the bigger fish up towards the surface with a free snack in the form of free swimming bait. Otherwise vertical jigging at different depths can be helpful until you can mark the fish and find them.
Blackfin are predators and will each fish, squid, shrimp, crabs, and all manner of amphipods and other smaller sea critters. This means they eat a wide variety of food, but because their eyesight is so good your presentation also needs to be, and it can be good to scale down your leader and hooks for blackfin. Great choices for bait are ballyhoo or mullet, but you can also use jigs and other lures.
Are Blackfin Tuna good to eat? What are the best Blackfin recipes?
Blackfin tuna are great to eat, second only to their larger tuna cousins the yellowfin and bluefin. Many anglers talk in relative terms and will catch a yellowfin and blackfin and discard the blackfin in favor of the yellowfin. While yellowfin is probably the better of the two, blackfin is certainly something to write home about in its own right. It is great to eat raw, seared, or baked. And an insiders secret: while not the sexiest, boiled fresh tuna will make the best tuna salad you will ever have - you’ll never go back to store-bought stuff.
More Fishing Trips
Other Species to Target
- African Pompano
- Albacore Tuna
- Alligator
- Alligator Gar
- Almaco Jack
- Amberjack
- Arctic Char
- Atlantic Mackerel
- Atlantic Salmon
- Barracuda
- Bigeye Tuna
- Black Drum
- Black Duck
- Black Grouper
- Black Marlin
- Black Seabass
- Black-Bellied Whistling Duck
- Blackbelly Rosefish
- Blacktip Shark
- Blue Catfish
- Blue Marlin
- Blue Shark
- Blue-Winged Teal
- Bluebill
- Bluefin Tuna
- Bluefish
- Bluegill
- Bonefish
- Bonito
- Bonnethead Shark
- Bowfin
- Bream
- Brook Trout
- Broomtail Grouper
- Brown Trout
- Bufflehead
- Bull Shark
- Bull Trout
- Bullhead Catfish
- Burbot
- Calico Bass
- California Corbina
- California Sheephead
- Canada Goose
- Canvasback
- Carp
- Cero Mackerel
- Channel Catfish
- Chinook Salmon
- Chum Salmon
- Cichlid
- Cinnamon Teal
- Clown Knifefish
- Cobia
- Cod
- Coho Salmon
- Common Goldeneye
- Common Merganser
- Crab
- Crappie
- Cubera Snapper
- Cutthroat Trout
- Dolly Varden
- Dove
- False Albacore
- Flathead Catfish
- Florida Pompano
- Flounder
- Fluke
- Freshwater Drum
- Gadwall
- Gag Grouper
- Garfish
- Giant Trevally
- Golden Dorado
- Golden Trout
- Goliath Grouper
- Great White Shark
- Green-Winged Teal
- Grunt
- Guadalupe Bass
- Haddock
- Halibut
- Hammerhead Shark
- Hardhead Catfish
- Hog
- Hogfish
- Hooded Merganser
- Horse-eye Jack
- Hybrid Striped Bass
- Iguana
- Jack Crevalle
- Kingfish
- Ladyfish
- Lake Trout
- Lane Snapper
- Largemouth Bass
- Lemon Shark
- Leopard Shark
- Lingcod
- Lionfish
- Lobster
- Mahi Mahi
- Mako Shark
- Mallard
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mexican Duck
- Mottled Duck
- Mullet Snapper
- Muskie
- Mutton Snapper
- Needlefish
- Northern Pike
- Northern Pintail
- Northern Shoveler
- Nurse Shark
- Peacock Bass
- Perch
- Permit
- Pink Salmon
- Pink Snapper
- Pollock
- Porbeagle Shark
- Queen Snapper
- Rainbow Runner
- Rainbow Trout
- Ray
- Red Grouper
- Red Snapper
- Red-Breasted Merganser
- Redfish
- Redhead
- Ring-Necked Duck
- Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout
- Rockfish
- Roosterfish
- Sailfish
- Sauger
- Scallop
- Scamp Grouper
- Sculpin
- Scup
- Shad
- Sheepshead
- Shrimp
- Skate
- Skipjack Tuna
- Smallmouth Bass
- Smallmouth Buffalo
- Snook
- Snow Goose
- Snowy Grouper
- Sockeye Salmon
- Spadefish
- Spanish Mackerel
- Spearfish
- Specklebelly Goose
- Speckled Trout
- Spotted Bass
- Steelhead
- Stingray
- Strawberry Grouper
- Striped Bass
- Striped Marlin
- Sturgeon
- Sunfish
- Swordfish
- Tarpon
- Tautog
- Thresher Shark
- Tiger Shark
- Tigerfish
- Tilapia
- Tilefish
- Triggerfish
- Tripletail
- Vermillion Snapper
- Wahoo
- Walleye
- Warsaw Grouper
- Weakfish
- White Bass
- White Marlin
- White Seabass
- Whiting
- Wigeon
- Wood Duck
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Amberjack
- Yellowtail Snapper
Other Techniques to Try
- Artificial Lure Fishing
- Blind Hunting
- Bottom Fishing
- Bowfishing
- Calling
- Cut Bait Fishing
- Decoy Hunting
- Deep Dropping
- Drift Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Gigging
- Heavy Tackle Fishing
- Hunting With Dogs
- Ice Fishing
- Jigging
- Kayak Fishing
- Kite Fishing
- Light Tackle Fishing
- Live Bait Fishing
- Management Hunting
- Rifle Hunting
- Scalloping
- Shotgun Hunting
- Sight Casting
- Spearfishing
- Surf Fishing
- Topwater Fishing
- Trolling
- Wading
Other Types of Fishing
States
Cities
- Boca Raton, Florida
- Boothville-Venice, Louisiana
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Cancún, Mexico
- Caracas, Venezuela
- Carrabelle, Florida
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Corpus Christi, Texas
- Dauphin Island, Alabama
- Destin, Florida
- Duck Key, Florida
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fort Myers Beach, Florida
- Fort Pierce, Florida
- Fort Walton Beach, Florida
- Freeport, Texas
- Galveston, Texas
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Hatteras, North Carolina
- Hillsboro Beach, Florida
- Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Hitchcock, Texas
- Hollywood, Florida
- Islamorada, Florida
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Jupiter, Florida
- Kapaʻa, Hawaii
- Key Biscayne, Florida
- Key Largo, Florida
- Key West, Florida
- Lantana, Florida
- Los Roques Archipelago, Venezuela
- Manteo, North Carolina
- Marathon, Florida
- Matagorda, Texas
- Miami, Florida
- Miami Beach, Florida
- Montauk, New York
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- New Smyrna Beach, Florida
- North Charleston, South Carolina
- Orange Beach, Alabama
- Panama City, Florida
- Panama City Beach, Florida
- Paradise Island, The Bahamas
- Pensacola, Florida
- Pompano Beach, Florida
- Ponce Inlet, Florida
- Port Aransas, Texas
- Port Isabel, Texas
- Port Orange, Florida
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Riviera Beach, Florida
- Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
- Sarasota, Florida
- Shalimar, Florida
- South Padre Island, Texas
- St. Augustine, Florida
- St. Marys, Georgia
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Stock Island, Florida
- Stuart, Florida
- Tavernier, Florida
- Tierra Verde, Florida
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- West Palm Beach, Florida
Countries
Other Featured Cities
- Aransas Pass, TX
- Austin, TX
- Biloxi, MS
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Cancun, MX
- Cape Coral, FL
- Charleston, SC
- Clearwater, FL
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Crystal River, FL
- Dauphin Island, AL
- Daytona Beach, FL
- Delray Beach, FL
- Destin, FL
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Fort Myers. FL
- Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Freeport, TX
- Galveston, TX
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Islamorada, FL
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jupiter, FL
- Key Largo, FL
- Key West, FL
- Kona, HI
- Marathon, FL
- Marco Island, FL
- Miami, FL
- Naples, FL
- New Orleans, LA
- Orange Beach, AL
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Pensacola, FL
- Port Aransas, TX
- Port O'Connor, TX
- Rockport, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Sarasota, FL
- South Padre Island, TX
- St. Augustine, FL
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Tarpon Springs, FL
- Tulum, Mexico
- Venice, LA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Wilmington, NC