Damn Good Bluefin Tuna Fishing Charters

The best bluefin tuna fishing charters are:

• Pier Pressure Charters guided by David B.
• Bluebill Charters guided by Bluebill C.
• Town Fish Charters guided by Mike C.
• Spitfire Sportfishing guided by Jeremy M.
• RO-BA guided by Rob C.

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 58 bluefin tuna trips, and the most popular trips are Offshore Tuna / Marlin / Mahi Mahi guided by Peter, Full Day Offshore Banks (12 Hr) guided by Scottie, and Offshore San Diego guided by Scottie.

Our guides are rated a 4.9 out of 5 based on 9420 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.

All guides on Captain Experiences are 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 bluefin tuna guides / fishing lessons? Check out our beginner and family friendly bluefin tuna guides.

Deep Sea fishing is the most popular type of fishing for bluefin tuna as well as nearshore fishing, inshore fishing, and river fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are trolling, heavy tackle fishing, and bottom fishing but jigging and live bait fishing are popular as well.

Prices for bluefin tuna can range anywhere from about $1,100 to $4,200, but the average price for a half day trip for bluefin tuna is $1,252. The average price for a full day trip for bluefin tuna is $3,106.

Hiring a guide provides a number of benefits and many choose to book a fishing guide for a combination of experience, local knowledge, convenience, and cost-effectiveness.

Working with experienced fishing guides who know the best local spots and techniques can dramatically increase your odds of a great day. Having someone who is on the water every day and knows the area like the back of their hand is going to give you the best chances of success.

Booking a guide is also more cost effective, especially if you only get out a handful of times per year. When you consider all of the costs you would incur on your own such as the price of a boat, maintenance, insurance, gas, high-quality gear and tackle, repairs, and more, you’ll find that DIY is sometimes not worth the expense.

Even if you’ve got a great setup already in your home waters, booking a guide also provides a great opportunity to experience new techniques, new locations, or even a chance at a new target species to knock off the bucket list.

The most popular season for bluefin tuna fishing is summer, and most anglers book their trips 49 days in advance.

See here for more information on bluefin tuna fishing licenses, bluefin tuna bag limits, and fishing season regulations for bluefin tuna. When in doubt, your guide will always know all the relevant bluefin tuna rules and regulations.

Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are the largest of the tunas. They are torpedo-shaped, strong and fast swimmers, and are dark blue, fading to silver on their bellies. Being such a popular fish for both sport and food, they have acquired many nicknames such as bluefin tunny and squid hound.

There are three species of bluefin, the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern. All are tremendous predators and have the sharpest vision of any bony fish. Though they are fierce hunters, they can also be victims to killer whales, sharks, and parasites, as well as overfishing, leading to extinction and trading bans in certain countries and seas.

The average bluefin lives for about 15 years, growing to an average of 78 inches long, and around 500 pounds. However, they can grow up to 180 inches long and almost 1,500 pounds, over a period of up to 50 years. These measurements rival black and blue marlin, as well as swordfish.

On October 26th, 1979, Ken Fraser caught the record 1,496 pound bluefin tuna, as recognized by the International Game Fish Association. He spent just 45 minutes bringing the tuna to gaff after it latched on to a trolled mackerel in Aulds Cove off Nova Scotia, Canada.

Bluefin tuna can be found spread through the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and it’s adjacent seas, with a high concentration in the North Atlantic. Some excellent places to catch these incredible sportfish are in Massachusetts and California. Typically, they will be within 500 to 1,000 meters deep in these areas.

Due to their wide distribution, and the fact that they are highly migratory, it is difficult to lock down the best season for bluefin tuna fishing worldwide, but it is necessary rather to look at peak season in the area you would like to fish. Florida, for example, peaks from May to September. In California it is recommended to go in July to August, and in Texas autumn, winter, and spring are the best.

The best way to catch bluefin is to troll natural bait like herring, mullet, mackerel, bonito, or squid. You can also use artificial bait, such as plugs, jigs, or feathers. Flies and poppers can also be used, especially by chumming to bring them closer to the surface.

Due to their great fight and muscular nature, it is recommended to use heavy tackle, and a sturdy fishing belt, as well as a fairly stiff rod that can handle the impact of this brute of a fish smoking it and running.

Bluefin is appreciated worldwide as an excellent food fish, selling on the Japanese market for up to $45,000 for a single fish, due to it’s popularity in sushi and sashimi. If eating tuna raw does not interest you, try a seared or baked tuna steak!

Just add some light oil and seasoning, and then sear on a frying pan, or bake in the oven. Then serve with a salad with vinaigrette dressing, roasted lemon potatoes, or baked sweet potatoes!