THREE DESTINATIONS FOR

By CAM Staff

Fspot of the tuna fishing world. They’re bigger and stronger than blackfins, while being far more approachable than giant bluefins. They’re fast and strong, and they school up, sometimes crashing baits on the surface.

There’s so much to like about this tremendous game fish, and it doesn’t hurt that limits are relatively liberal in most places. Did we mention that yellowfins are made of the delicious meat known as ahi in sushi bars?

Here are three of the best destinations where you can test your strength against a few yellowfins. Win the battle, and you’ll eat like a king.

Venice, Louisiana:

One of the most consistent places in the world for catching yellowfins is out of Venice, The “Yellowfin Capital of the World.” Tuna are a year-round possibility here in the Northern Gulf, where the Mississippi River produces rich currents and rip lines that roll out to hundreds of oil rigs and undersea mounts known as lumps.

Summertime brings better weather and calmer seas, when getting offshore more quickly and comfortably can reward anglers with mixed bags of mahi, wahoo, snapper and tuna in the 40 to 80-pound range. However, peak season for giant yellowfins is in winter, and triple-digit fish become the norm when the bite is hot. Fish heavier than 200 pounds are a definite possibility.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

On Mexico’s Pacific Coast, where the landmass begins to curve east, Puerto Vallarta is positioned within range of some of the most prolific tuna grounds in the world. Outside of Banderas Bay, a series of islands and deep-sea banks draw in tuna like clockwork at certain times of year. These are some of the largest yellowfins in the world.

There is no closed season on yellowfins here, but fishing is best from July through October, with a typical peak season of August and September. With runs of 36 to 125 miles to reach the fishing grounds, anglers must commit to long days on the water or overnight trips. The rewards can be huge. A lowend average fish weighs 80 pounds out of Puerto Vallarta. Big ones weigh 350 pounds or more.

Outer BankS North Carolina:

The Outer Banks get a lot of attention for giant bluefin tuna that move through in the winter months, but yellowfin tuna are around all year. With the Gulf Stream averaging 30 to 45 miles offshore and all the bottom structure on the Continental Shelf, large schools of yellowfins are frequently encountered along with many other pelagic favorites.

Unpredictable weather makes the deep winter months of January and February a crapshoot, which leaves October through December and March through June as prime time for catching yellowfins. They run a little smaller here, with 25- to 65-pound fish being normal catches, but the action is usually fast once you find them. Charters fill limits quickly, with doubles and triples coming tight when you troll through a school of them.

For more great destination fishing, visit coastalanglermag.com.