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Best Fishing Spots in the World for Tuna
One argument that often crops up between sport fishing anglers is about the grandeur of their favorite game fish. The Tuna is one of the most popular contenders for that top spot. And it is a rightful competitor as well. Many times they are compared with the Marlin in terms of game fish qualities. Well, the Marlin is undoubtedly a great game fish. It is fast, strong, powerful, and has great stamina that boosts the fish’s fighting abilities.
One thing that pulls the Marlin off the race is that once hooked these fish rise to the surface making it easier to land them. On the other hand, the Tuna will plummet straight into the depths of the sea making the life of the angler tougher than it was. Adding to this is the fact that once a Tuna starts descending into the depths it doesn’t leave even an inch of the line for the angler to reel in. Another factor that puts Tuna above the billfish on ratings is that these billfish exhaust a great amount of their energy in leaping and jumping from the water whereas the Tuna reserves this by pulling faster into the depths.
As the reigning heavyweights of the oceans, the Bluefin Tuna often outweighs the Marlins. These water giants as they are rightfully called often weigh beyond 450 kg and hence are considered the holy grail of sport fishing. Not just the Bluefin, the Bigeye, and the Yellowfin are just smaller in size than the mighty Bluefin but they are equally combative and are highly sought after. For all those die-hard sport fishing fans we reveal some of the best Tuna fishing spots in the world.
Nova Scotia, Canada
If the size is what matters to you, then there is no place to land a huge Tuna than the waters off the coast of Nova Scotia. Lying on the east coast of Canada with a long coast on the Atlantic Ocean, Nova Scotia is one of the best spots in the world to go fishing for Bluefin Tuna.
The Tuna Fishing Season in Nova Scotia lasts for some time and during this period the largest specimens are usually spotted and landed during the late summer months and during the early fall. You will be able to land a Giant Bluefin from Nova Scotia from waters that are not deeper than 200 ft. The average size of a Bluefin caught off the coasts of Nova Scotia weighs somewhat around 360 kg. Over the years though the number of Tunas found in these waters has declined a little bit, it still is a great fishing spot to land a giant Bluefin.
San Diego, CA
Going all the way to the other side, San Diego is yet another place that is an awesome location for Tuna anglers to go to. Once known as the “Tuna Capital of the World”, San Diego is probably the one place in the whole of the world where you will find a large tuna population.
One of the captains of the Charter boat operating in San Diego said that on a single trip, they usually land 5 to 15 Tuna each of which would weigh over 136 kg. Now that’s what they call San Diego “the Tuna Capital”.
The Tuna Season is best in San Diego between the period of early November to late May. When fishing for Tuna, the boats often wander off way south to the coast of Mexico and even go to Clarion Island.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta is the best place for the Yellowfins. Mostly female Yellowfins are found in these waters almost all through the year with an average weight of 158 kg. During the months spanning from August to December, the southern current pushes in warm waters towards Puerto Vallarta, and these waters would be swarming with bait fish.
This in turn lures the Giant Yellowfins to Puerto Vallarta. It is during this period between August and December that you will be able to land some of the mammoth Yellowfins you have ever seen.
The most popular method of Yellowfin Fishing used in Puerto Vallarta is trolling with live Skipjack Tuna. The largest Yellowfin of 167 kg was landed using this very technique.
Canary Islands, Spain
The Canaries in the Atlantic Ocean are a great location all together for fishing. The Tuna species pass through these waters during their migration. The Island of Gran Canaria is the spot from where the current world record Bigeye Tuna was caught. The fish weighed 177 kg.
The months of April and May are the best Tuna fishing season in the Canaries. Bluefin, Bigeye, and Yellowfin are all spotted in the waters surrounding the Canaries. The Bluefins are the ones that show up first during early March, they are followed by the Bigeye that lasts in these waters all through the summer, unlike the Bluefin. Then by July the Yellowfin start to appear and stay here for most part of the summer.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
Outer Banks in North Carolina is a well-known fishing spot for a variety of game fish and for Tuna in particular. The Bluefin population in Outer Banks feeds on relatively shallow waters that are just about 120 ft from the surface. The average weight of a Bluefin caught off these waters is anything between 150 to 180 kg. And it has been noticed that the Bluefin Tuna found here is getting bigger year by year. Oregon Inlet further north of Outer Banks is yet another spot in North Carolina that has given some of the best Bluefin bites.
The months from December to April are considered to be the best time to go fishing for Bluefin in the Atlantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast. This season keeps getting better as the year passes on from February to March and then finally to April.
Kona, Hawaii
Blue Marlin is what Kona is usually associated with however, it is the tuna population that it is the second best for. The Tuna is found all year through in these Hawaiian waters.
Yellowfin are spotted all year through with a peak season in the summer over the period between May and September. The Bigeye can be caught more frequently from October through April. A Bluefin of 170 kg, a Yellowfin of 140 kg, and a Bigeye Tuna of 102 kg were all caught off these Hawaiian waters.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
As the spring season leaves and the summer dawns in Cape Cod the Tuna season begins. Giant Bluefin Tuna schools start to swarm into the waters around Massachusetts.
Large numbers of bait fish attract larger numbers of Tuna to increase the excitement of ardent sport fishermen. Along with the Bluefin Tuna, a good number of Yellowfin Tuna also start to show up. But when there are Bluefin Tuna to land anglers tend to concentrate more on them rather than the Yellowfin. And like in all other parts of the world, in Cape Cod too landing a Bluefin is definitely grander than landing a Yellowfin.