Damn Good Guides
Experts Available 24/7
100% Weather Guarantee
“Our Damn Good Guides go above and beyond, and we’ve handpicked every single one. We’re passionate about the outdoors and look forward to getting you out on the trip of a lifetime, every time.”
Jonathan and Attison | Co-founders | Austin, Texas
Skipjack Tuna Fishing Charters
Deep Sea, Nearshore Fishing in Corpus Christi
Texas Gulf Coast Fishing
Everything to Know About Booking a skipjack tuna fishing charter
What are the best skipjack tuna fishing charters?
The best skipjack tuna fishing charters are:
Why should I book a skipjack tuna fishing charter with Captain Experiences?
Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 52 skipjack tuna trips, and the most popular trips are 4 hr Offshore Big Game Trip guided by Bryan, Offshore Jigging / Trolling guided by Chase, and Key West Mixed Bag Trip guided by Brad.
Our guides are rated a 4.68 out of 5 based on 3784 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 skipjack tuna guides / fishing lessons? Check out our beginner and family friendly skipjack tuna guides.
What types of skipjack tuna fishing charters are common?
Deep Sea fishing is the most popular type of fishing for skipjack 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 artificial lure fishing and live bait fishing are popular as well.
How much do skipjack tuna fishing charters cost?
Prices for skipjack tuna can range anywhere from about $690 to $3,200, but the average price for a half day trip for skipjack tuna is $1,102. The average price for a full day trip for skipjack tuna is $1,911.
Is booking a fishing guide worth the money?
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.
What month is best for skipjack tuna fishing?
The most popular season for skipjack tuna fishing is summer, and most anglers book their trips 11 days in advance.
Do I need a fishing license for skipjack tuna and what are the bag limits for skipjack tuna?
See here for more information on skipjack tuna fishing licenses, skipjack tuna bag limits, and fishing season regulations for skipjack tuna. When in doubt, your fishing guide will always know the right skipjack tuna rules and regulations.
What is a Skipjack Tuna?
The skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is a member of the tuna (Thunnus) tribe, one of the four tribes in the Scombridae family, which it shares with mackerels, spanish mackerels, and bonitos. You may have heard it colloquially referred to as the balaya, cakalang, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish.
With a torpedo-shaped body made for fast swimming, and a strong sense of smell, they are excellent hunters. Their back is a dark purple or blue, that fades into silver on their sides and bellies which helps with camouflage. There are also four to six stripes on their sides.
They are fished for both commercially and recreationally. In fact, they are so popular for commercial fishing that if you’ve ever had canned tuna, it was probably skipjack.
How big do Skipjack Tuna get?
There is much conflicting information on the size of skipjack tuna, as they are so commonly confused with little tunny, bonito, and more. So lets set the record straight here: the average length of a skipjack tuna is 32 inches, and weighs about to seven to 22 pounds. They are one of the smaller tuna species.
What's the biggest Skipjack Tuna ever caught?
The all-tackle world record skipjack tuna was caught by Joeri Van Laken in La Gomera, Spain. On November 15th, 2020, Van Laken boated this 46 pound, 5 ounce monster.
Where is the best place to catch Skipjack Tuna?
Skipjack tuna are spread throughout tropical and temperate waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. They are a pelagic species, meaning they prefer to be in the open seas in the upper sections of the water column.
When should I catch Skipjack Tuna?
Skipjack tuna spawn year round, which means that they can typically be caught year round, especially in more tropical zones where the water is consistently warmer and prime for spawning. However, as you get towards more into temperate waters, the best season will be in between May and August when the waters are the warmest.
How do you catch Skipjack Tuna?
To begin, look for areas of surface irritation or sea birds, which will help you to identify where to start fishing. Skipjacks are a schooling fish, which means that trolling is the best method to catch them. For bait, live or strip baits, feathers, plugs, and spoons will all work great.
Skipjack are easily startled, which means they key to fishing them is to circle the boat around the school and let the bait drift through them. Once hooked, be ready for the fight!
Are Skipjack Tuna good to eat? What are the best Skipjack Tuna recipes?
Skipjack tuna is a very commonly eaten fish, being one of the most popular tuna served canned worldwide. They have a meaty, bright red flesh that has a mildly fishy flavor. It can be prepared and eaten canned, baked, seared, grilled, or raw.
There are many cultures around the world where skipjack tuna is the highlight of the dish. In Japan, skipjack tuna, known there as katsuo, is eaten raw in sushi and sashimi, or smoked and dried to make katsuobushi which is the main ingredient in fish stock, or dashi. Also, in Indonesia, it is enjoyed cured and smoked in a dish called cakalang fufu.
Recent Reviews
States
Cities
- Cape May, NJ
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Eleele, HI
- Freeport, TX
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Gulfport, FL
- Honolulu, HI
- Islamorada, FL
- Kailua-Kona, HI
- Key West, FL
- Lantana, FL
- Lihue, HI
- Loreto
- Miami, FL
- Miami Beach, FL
- Nassau
- North Miami Beach, FL
- Olhão
- Orange Beach, AL
- Panama City Beach, FL
- Pensacola, FL
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Puerto Vallarta
- Rincon
- Riviera Beach, FL
- San Diego, CA
- San José del Cabo
Countries
Other Fishing Species
- African Pompano
- Albacore Tuna
- Almaco Jack
- Amberjack
- Atlantic Mackerel
- Barracuda
- Bigeye Tuna
- Black Grouper
- Black Marlin
- Black Seabass
- Blackfin Tuna
- 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
- Gag Grouper
- Giant Trevally
- Golden Dorado
- Goliath Grouper
- Hammerhead Shark
- Hogfish
- Jack Crevalle
- Kingfish
- Lane Snapper
- Largemouth Bass
- Lemon Shark
- Mahi Mahi
- Mako Shark
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mutton Snapper
- Needlefish
- Nurse Shark
- Permit
- Rainbow Runner
- Red Grouper
- Red Snapper
- Redfish
- Roosterfish
- Sailfish
- Scamp Grouper
- Sheepshead
- Snowy Grouper
- Spanish Mackerel
- Spearfish
- Striped Marlin
- Swordfish
- Tarpon
- Tiger Shark
- Tilefish
- Triggerfish
- Vermillion Snapper
- Wahoo
- Warsaw Grouper
- White Marlin
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Yellowtail Amberjack
- Yellowtail Snapper
Featured Cities
- Fishing Charters Near Me
- Austin Fishing Guides
- Biloxi Fishing Charters
- Bradenton Fishing Charters
- Cabo San Lucas Fishing Charters
- Cancun Fishing Charters
- Cape Coral Fishing Charters
- Charleston Fishing Charters
- Clearwater Fishing Charters
- Corpus Christi Fishing Charters
- Dauphin Island Fishing Charters
- Daytona Beach Fishing Charters
- Destin Fishing Charters
- Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
- Fort Myers Fishing Charters
- Fort Walton Beach Fishing Charters
- Galveston Fishing Charters
- Gulf Shores Fishing Charters
- Hatteras Fishing Charters
- Hilton Head Fishing Charters
- Islamorada Fishing Charters
- Jacksonville Fishing Charters
- Jupiter Fishing Charters
- Key Largo Fishing Charters
- Key West Fishing Charters
- Kona Fishing Charters
- Madeira Beach Fishing Charters
- Marathon Fishing Charters
- Marco Island Fishing Charters
- Miami Fishing Charters
- Montauk Fishing Charters
- Morehead City Fishing Charters
- Naples Fishing Charters
- New Orleans Fishing Charters
- New Smyrna Beach Fishing Charters
- Orange Beach Fishing Charters
- Panama City Beach Fishing Charters
- Pensacola Fishing Charters
- Pompano Beach Fishing Charters
- Port Aransas Fishing Charters
- Rockport Fishing Charters
- San Diego Fishing Charters
- San Juan Fishing Charters
- Sarasota Fishing Charters
- South Padre Island Fishing Charters
- St. Petersburg Fishing Charters
- Tampa Fishing Charters
- Tarpon Springs Fishing Charters
- Venice Fishing Charters
- Virginia Beach Fishing Charters
What's biting?
View Skipjack 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 vetted by our team of outdoor experts who know them on a first-name basis. We hand pick each and every one of them, and our network spans all across the US 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:
