The Best Strategies for Catching Delicious, Wide-Ranging Blackfin Tuna

For Central Florida anglers, tuna fishing and crossing the Gulf Stream are nearly synonymous, yet we have a tuna (other than bonito) that can be targeted in nearer waters on the west side of the stream; the blackfin. Many of us have sojourned to the Keys and know how the Islamorada Hump consistently holds schools of blackfin and skipjack. In the 1990s, I would tow my boat down a few times a year and, through trial and error, discovered reliable ways to catch tuna on the Hump. Halfway up the state, however, we do not have a singular, reliable site to concentrate on blackfin. They are here, nonetheless.

Outside of the Keys, blackfin tunas are caught primarily by trolling or chunking. When trolling, they can be picked up incidentally in a general spread of baits or lures or, where schools are seen or suspected, deliberately targeted. If one is caught while trolling for dolphin or kings, it is worth circling repeatedly back through the area for they travel in schools. Keep in mind, tuna swim continuously and quickly so they may have strayed considerably from the initial hookup locale. My experiences lead me to believe trolling success specifically for blackfin tuna is maximized by dragging very small artificials, increasing the distance astern the lures are trolled, and employing bird-style teasers ahead of the lures to attract their attention and spark strikes. Sometimes we drop down to trolling only two lines when the trolling distance is exceptionally long to avoid crossed lines and tangles.

Blackfin Tuna Fishing in Florida

Several different years, in late June and July, I encountered large schools of small, 10- to 12-inch, blackfin tuna cavorting and rippling over an area of several acres like young bonito in depths of 80 to 135 feet. While obviously not large enough to eat, these youngsters feed voraciously and offer good sport to anglers armed with light tackle and casting small diamond jigs or flashy Kastmasters. Across the Gulf Stream and in the Keys, surface splashes manifest where schools of mature blackfin are feeding, but, off the Space Coast, seldom have I had the luck to locate them that way. I have often read of tuna traveling in concert with mammalian dolphins and witnessed this association many times in the Pacific, especially off Costa Rica. Twice, I discovered blackfin tuna with dolphin when fishing out of Port Canaveral. On the other hand, I’ve encountered untold numbers of dolphin that, as far as I could discern, had no tuna accompanying them. The times the tuna travelled with them unusually large numbers of dolphin were present. Possibly the size of the pod affects the tunas’ inclination to keep company. Perhaps, I have it backwards, and the dolphin are following the tuna.

Regardless, when large groups of mammalian dolphin are sighted, it is worthwhile to check for the presence of blackfin. If the fish are there, trolling with lines far astern allows the boat’s course to curve ahead of the school. Then, the distant lures are dragged over the un-spooked tuna.

Chunking for tuna involves throwing large amounts of cut bait overboard where tuna are suspected to be present. When the water starts boiling with aggressive fish, outfits with hooks inserted into bait chunks are utilized to cast to particular fish. I mention particular fish because, almost always, bonito are the first to show up, remain higher in the water column, and seem less wary. The darker shadows on the outskirts of the feeding area or deeper in the water are the desired blackfin and are targeted. Baits, well-presented to blackfin, can be intercepted by rambunctious bonito. At times, the angler can jerk it away from the marauders, but usually a few bonito are hooked despite efforts to avoid them. When blackfin become very aggressive, instead of using cut bait, sight-casting big popping plugs or jigs can be very fun.

In the 1980s and ’90s, we used to approach anchored shrimp boats. The bycatch the shrimpers culled after a night’s trawling already had the area thoroughly chummed. Any member of the crew still awake usually would be happy to shovel a bit more bycatch overboard (especially for a six-pack). That strategy was all that was necessary to start a feeding frenzy. Even when the entire crew slept, our relatively meager supply of chunk bait never failed to bring bonito up and nearly always blackfin as well. The bycatch chummed sharks as well, so fairly heavy line and tackle proved beneficial, allowing us to horse tuna aboard before they were ravaged.

By accident, when no shrimp boats were out, we discovered chunking over a 90-foot reef in the winter brought up blackfin. Buoyed by the first success, a few weeks later on a different bit of reef, we repeated the venture with equally exciting results and even had a wahoo show up around the boat as well. After that, an interval passed with no fishing for me. Since then, my efforts at random chunking over hard bottom have failed to stir up tuna, so I’m at a loss as to whether blackfin can be reliably targeted that way.

Captain Roddy Corr, out of Port Canaveral, seldom goes specifically after blackfin but catches many incidentally when trolling for kingfish. His observations include that smaller lures and lures behind birds are strategies most likely to raise tuna and that winter is the predominant season. He also has enjoyed success live baiting in the winter. Again, his focus was on kings and the blackfin were unexpected but not unusual bonuses. He advises that anyone specifically after blackfin is well advised to seek out shrimp boats and chunk.

Unlike yellowfin and marlin, blackfin do not fall into the highly migratory species listing. In fact, David Kerstetter, a professor with Nova Southeastern University, after conducting a satellite tagging study in the Gulf of Mexico learned that many blackfin remained nearly local. He cautioned against reading too much into the results, for the prevalence of oil rigs may have influenced their behavior. He believes the fishery is fairly stable and sustainable yet explained the indications of stability arise from U.S. catch data while blackfin range from Massachusetts down to southern Brazil and are fished by over thirty nations throughout that expanse. Kerstetter explained the inclination for blackfin to remain in a given locale could contribute to fishermen concluding the stock is falling after the resident population has undergone heavy fishing. Even so, the IUCN lists the blackfin population as stable and of least concern. Four years ago, to bolster the blackfin population, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission enacted a bag limit of two blackfin per person or 10 per boat, whichever is greater.

Blackfin reach sexual maturity at 14 to 16 inches. They grow quickly, achieving this length in less than two years. They may live as long as eight years; in fact, at least one over 50 pounds has been caught. Peak spawning is May and June although spawning may stretch from April to November.

Florida Blackfin Tuna Are Delicious Too

Probably the most accepted way to prepare blackfin, like yellowfin, is to sear it lightly and, truthfully, this preparation in conjunction with the right spices and condiments is hard to top. An alternative is to use the boiled flesh in a recipe for tuna salad. Careful treatment of the fish after the catch may be the most important factor in turning it into a great meal.

All tuna taste better if they are bled immediately upon boating. During the fishing trip, the carcass should be kept covered with ice. When cleaning, fresh water should not contact the filleted flesh. A bucket of sea water brought back to the dock can be used for rinsing the meat. All traces of the blood line should be removed from the fillets. Attention to these details can elevate blackfin to a high level of palatability.

Gravlax Blackfin

Florida author A. D. Livingston wrote a wonderful book on cold smoking and curing meats. In it, he includes a recipe for gravlax salmon. Intrigued by it, I have applied it first to yellowfin, then venison, and now blackfin; each with equally delicious results. The blackfin fillet is sliced across the grain into pieces about 3⁄8 of an inch thick. Each piece is dredged heavily in a mixture of three parts salt, two parts demerara or cane sugar, and one-part black pepper. (Tablespoons are good for starters, and then you can adjust the measurement depending upon the amount of meat being cured.) The slices are then stacked with a bit of cilantro and a drop or two of sprinkled bourbon between them. The stacks are wrapped tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for a minimum of six days. After that they can be removed and utilized. The tuna is very tender and the flavor delicious, yet the salt and pepper are fairly concentrated. It is best eaten without further seasoning and as part of something mild. I find placing it on a bagel with cream cheese (and maybe some slices of onion) exceptionally tasty. Also, it can be substituted for bacon in a BLT sandwich for a surprisingly mouth-watering treat. I have included blackfin gravlax in a tortilla with melted cheese. A savory fish dip can be whipped up by chopping the gravlax and blending it with cream cheese, mayonnaise, and a bit of lime juice. This is a novel way of preparing blackfin and worth trying.

How to Make Gravlax Blackfin

Other Good Bets for Blackfins

Blackfin tuna are viable targets out of every port in Florida. Average size is 10 to 15 pounds, but schools of 20- to 30-pounders are not uncommon.

As mentioned in the main story, adding small feathers or other lures to a general trolling spread, and sending them far behind the boat, is a great way to increase the likelihood of catching one.

Blackfins are also quite responsive to live bait and in particular, live chumming. Scaled sardines, often called pilchards, are excellent baits. Starting a day with a hundred or more of these baits in the livewell, in promising water, throw a few sardines as far as you can, out away from the boat. Now hook a bait sideways through the nose with a small hook (2/0 to 4/0 shortshank J-hook) on 30-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. Cast it out there with the chummers.

Short of dialing into a known local blackfin hotspot, in spring and early summer, it’s worth trying this live-chumming tactic over any structure in depths of 90 to 400 feet. It works equally well at anchor, while drifting or while slow-trolling. A bow-mount trolling motor in spot-lock mode, quietly holding the boat in the current is perhaps the best possible approach of all.

Jigs are very effective when blackfin tuna are holding deep. Elongated, metal jigs in reflective finishes, anywhere from 2 to 6 ounces, are blackfin candy. Drifting is usually the best mode—you want to stay pretty much straight over top of the jigs. Drop until you contact bottom, or feel like you’re close, then lift and drop the rodtip quickly as you reel it back to the surface. Picture the jig accelerating up, then pausing for a second to roll and flash, then darting away again.—Jeff Weakley, Editor

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• This article was featured in the April 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe

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