Experts Available 24/7
Licensed & Insured Guides
100% Weather Guarantee
Recently Booked Blackfin Tuna Fishing Charters
Deep Sea Fishing Charter in South Padre Island
South Padre Island Deep Sea
Deep Sea, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Fort Lauderdale
Unforgettable Day Offshore
Deep Sea, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Stock Island
Key West Nearshore/Offshore Trip
Deep Sea Fishing Charter in Port Aransas
Into The Depths- Captain Daniel
Most Popular Types of Blackfin Tuna Trips
“Our Damn Good Guides go above and beyond to provide you an incredible trip, and we’ve handpicked every single one. We’re passionate about the outdoors and about empowering people to find the perfect-match guide for the trip of a lifetime, every time.”
Jonathan and Attison | Co-founders | Austin, Texas
Choose your trip by skill level
More Blackfin Tuna Fishing Charters
Deep Sea, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Key West
Key West Fishing Slam
Deep Sea, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Hollywood
World Famous Sportfishing - Large Group
Deep Sea Fishing Charter in Galveston
Going Deep - 35' Sea Hunter
Deep Sea, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Key West
Legendary Fishing In Key West
Deep Sea, Inshore, Nearshore Fishing Charter in Key West
Key West Deep Sea Run - 40' Luhrs
Everything to Know About Booking a blackfin tuna fishing charter
What are the best blackfin tuna fishing charters?
Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 313 blackfin tuna trips, and the most popular trips are Offshore Big Game Trip guided by Bryan, South Padre Island Deep Sea guided by Emilio, and Offshore Thrills guided by Paul.
Our guides are rated a 4.79 out of 5 based on 2408 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.
All guides on Captain Experiences are licensed, insured, and vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.
Looking for kid friendly blackfin tuna guides? Check out our beginner and family friendly blackfin tuna guides.
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 jetty fishing.
The most common fishing techniques are trolling, bottom fishing, and heavy tackle fishing but live bait fishing and light tackle fishing are popular as well.
How much do blackfin tuna fishing charters cost?
for blackfin tuna prices can range anywhere from an affordable $69 to $3,000 and up, but the average price for a half day trip for blackfin tuna is $1,108. The average price for a full day trip for blackfin tuna is $2,363.
What month is best for blackfin tuna fishing?
The most popular season for blackfin tuna fishing is spring, 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.
Recent Reviews of Captain Experiences
Cities
- Alice Town
- Atlantic Beach, FL
- Belleair Bluffs, FL
- Boca Raton, FL
- Boothville-Venice, LA
- Boynton Beach, FL
- Bradenton, FL
- Cabo San Lucas
- Cancún
- Charleston, SC
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Dania Beach, FL
- Dauphin Island, AL
- Destin, FL
- Duck Key, FL
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Freeport, TX
- Galveston, TX
- Gulf Breeze, FL
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Hatteras, NC
- Hillsboro Beach, FL
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Hitchcock, TX
- Hollywood, FL
- Islamorada, FL
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jupiter, FL
- Kapaʻa, HI
- Key Biscayne, FL
- Key Largo, FL
- Key West, FL
- Lantana, FL
- Layton, FL
- Little Torch Key, FL
- Madeira Beach, FL
- Manteo, NC
- Marathon, FL
- Miami, FL
- Miami Beach, FL
- Montauk, NY
- Mount Pleasant, SC
- Naval Air Station Key West, FL
- New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Niceville, FL
- North Charleston, SC
- Orange Beach, AL
- Panama City, FL
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Paradise Island
- Pensacola, FL
- Pensacola Beach, FL
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Port Aransas, TX
- Port Isabel, TX
- Port Orange, FL
- Punta Cana
- Rincon
- Riviera Beach, FL
- Santa Rosa Beach, FL
- Sarasota, FL
- Shalimar, FL
- South Padre Island, TX
- St. Augustine, FL
- St. Marys, GA
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Stock Island, FL
- Stuart, FL
- Tavernier, FL
- Tierra Verde, FL
- Tulum
- Virginia Beach, VA
- West Palm Beach, FL
Countries
Other Fishing Species
- African Pompano
- Albacore Tuna
- Almaco Jack
- Amberjack
- Atlantic Mackerel
- Barracuda
- Bigeye Tuna
- Black Drum
- Black Grouper
- Black Marlin
- Black Seabass
- Blackbelly Rosefish
- Blacktip Shark
- Blue Marlin
- Blue Shark
- Bluefin Tuna
- Bonefish
- Bonito
- Bonnethead Shark
- Broomtail Grouper
- Bull Shark
- Cero Mackerel
- Cobia
- Cubera Snapper
- False Albacore
- Florida Pompano
- Flounder
- Gag Grouper
- Goliath Grouper
- Hammerhead Shark
- Hogfish
- Horse-eye Jack
- Jack Crevalle
- Kingfish
- Lane Snapper
- Largemouth Bass
- Lemon Shark
- Leopard Shark
- Lobster
- Mahi Mahi
- Mako Shark
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mullet Snapper
- Mutton Snapper
- Nurse Shark
- Permit
- Queen Snapper
- Rainbow Runner
- Red Grouper
- Red Snapper
- Redfish
- Sailfish
- Scamp Grouper
- Scup
- Sheepshead
- Skipjack Tuna
- Snook
- Snowy Grouper
- Spanish Mackerel
- Speckled Trout
- Strawberry Grouper
- Striped Marlin
- Swordfish
- Tarpon
- Tiger Shark
- Tilefish
- Triggerfish
- Tripletail
- Vermillion Snapper
- Wahoo
- Warsaw Grouper
- White Marlin
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Amberjack
- Yellowtail Snapper
Featured Cities
- Fishing Charters Near Me
- Aransas Pass Fishing Charters
- Austin Fishing Guides
- Biloxi Fishing Charters
- Cabo San Lucas Fishing Charters
- Cancun Fishing Charters
- Cape Coral Fishing Charters
- Charleston Fishing Charters
- Clearwater Fishing Charters
- Corpus Christi Fishing Charters
- Crystal River Fishing Charters
- Dauphin Island Fishing Charters
- Daytona Beach Fishing Charters
- Delray Beach Fishing Charters
- Destin Fishing Charters
- Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
- Fort Myers Fishing Charters
- Fort Walton Beach Fishing Charters
- Freeport Fishing Charters
- Galveston Fishing Charters
- Gulf Shores Fishing Charters
- Hilton Head Island Fishing Charters
- Islamorada Fishing Charters
- Jacksonville Fishing Charters
- Jupiter Fishing Charters
- Key Largo Fishing Charters
- Key West Fishing Charters
- Kona Fishing Charters
- Marathon Fishing Charters
- Marco Island Fishing Charters
- Miami Fishing Charters
- Naples Fishing Charters
- New Orleans Fishing Charters
- Orange Beach Fishing Charters
- Panama City Beach Fishing Charters
- Pensacola Fishing Charters
- Port Aransas Fishing Charters
- Port O'Connor Fishing Charters
- Rockport Fishing Charters
- San Diego Fishing Charters
- San Juan Fishing Charters
- Sarasota Fishing Charters
- South Padre Island Fishing Charters
- St. Augustine Fishing Charters
- St. Petersburg Fishing Charters
- Tampa Fishing Charters
- Tarpon Springs Fishing Charters
- Tulum Fishing Charters
- Venice Fishing Charters
- Virginia Beach Fishing Charters
- Wilmington Fishing Charters
What's biting?
View Blackfin Tuna Fishing Reports from our damn good guides.
Didn't Find What You Were Looking For?
Our guides are Damn Good Guides, which means they’re licensed, insured and vetted by our team of outdoor experts who know them on a first-name basis. We hand pick our Damn Good Guides, and our network spans all across the country and beyond.
The proof is in the pudding, and we’re incredibly proud of our 4.9 / 5 average review score. Hit the button below to see more trip options: