Bluefin Tuna are a highly prized sportfish and an iconic species the world over; they have been recorded up to 1,500lb in weight and rival the Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, and Swordfish as the king of the big game species. They are warm-blooded fish, which can live for up to forty years and grow over four metres in length, and are native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, roaming the vast blue waters searching for food.
Due to their size, speed, and power they display as an apex predator, many anglers search the world high and low for these stunning fish, and they’re certainly on many anglers bucket lists. Once you have hooked a giant Bluefin Tuna, you will be in for one of the most challenging fights of your life, they possess enormous muscular strength that they use for propulsion, and fights can last anything from half-hour to over four hours.
A ferocious predator that can dive to depths of over 1000m, they typically hunt in the upper layers of the ocean, feeding on small fish such as Sardines, Herring, Mackerel and other invertebrates such as Squid and Crustaceans. A popular way of catching these hard-hitting brutes and one of the best is by trolling teasers behind a boat, enticing the fish up and then dropping a dead bait or trolled lure into the depths.
Below are the top destinations in the world for Bluefin Tuna Fishing.
Big game fishing in Spain, off the coast of Valencia in the Mediterranean, is based purely on the biggest Bluefin Tuna. During the summer months of June and July, this destination transforms into the epicentre of European big game fishing and regularly throws up huge specimens of over 600lb.
La Gomera is the ideal big game fishing destination for anyone who does not like long flights. It is also perfect for a family fishing holiday as the island is packed with other attractions to keep the entire family entertained. You will be fishing some of Europe’s most prolific waters for species such as Blue Marlin and massive Giant Bluefin Tuna.
Madeira for many years has produced some of the worlds biggest Blue Marlin and back in 1995, 1996 and 1997 Madeira was the world cup winner. So, if you are a true specimen hunter, we can’t think of a better place to head to for a fish of a lifetime. Perfect for a family getaway with it only being a couple of hour’s flight.
Covering an area of over 320 square kilometres, the Ebro Delta is one of the most extensive and exciting wetlands in the western Mediterranean. Home to a bounty of different species, including Tuna, Bonito, Bluefish, Palometón, Bass, Llampuga, Mackerel and Amberjack, to name just a few.
If you are in search of a true specimen, then Prince Edward Island is the place for you. The Bluefin Tuna that surround this Island are beasts and will test any angler to his limit. These huge Tuna grow excess of 1000lb’s and are caught regularly by anglers on stand up and fight, but make sure you take your “A” game.
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Name: Bluefin Tuna
Also known as: Bluefin Tunny or Tunny
Scientific name: Thunnus Thynnus
The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is a true giant and one of the top Apex predators in the ocean. Famed for their robust, oval-shaped bodies, they’re beautifully coloured with blues and greys, with flashes of gold covering them and bright yellow caudal finlets. They can be distinguished from other family members by the relatively short length of their pectoral fins.
They possess incredible muscle strength, and unlike many other fishes, when swimming, their body stays rigid while the tail flicks back and forth, increasing stroke efficiency. They also have an incredible circulatory system, which allows them to deliver oxygen to their tissues efficiently, combined with a fragile blood-water barrier to ensure rapid oxygen uptake. They use a countercurrent exchange to keep their core muscles warm for power and steady swimming, which prevents heat from being lost to the surrounding water. Despite being warm-blooded, they can also thermoregulate, meaning they can seek food in the cold waters of the North Atlantic.
Overall, Bluefin Tuna are an incredible species, providing anglers who target them with a true challenge. Many say they are unrivalled by any other fish in the sea.
Bluefin Tuna are native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. They are highly migratory and can travel thousands of miles each year.
Anglers wishing to target and catch a Bluefin Tuna have abundant and varied opportunities worldwide. The fish are found in the Caribbean Sea and along the east coast of the USA and Canada across the whole of the North Atlantic to the north coast of Africa and the whole Mediterranean. Over the past few years, populations around the British Isles have increased, and sightings are now widespread. With their unique makeup and their ability to ensure colder waters, they have also been spotted and caught in the Baltic and Norwegian Seas.
If you are travelling from the UK to fish for Bluefins, there are some excellent opportunities in Europe, including off the coast of Valencia in Spain and at the right time of the year in Maderia. Popular destinations further afield include the likes of
Our top three Bluefin Tuna fishing tours:
Tuna Fishing Valencia Spain
Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing Canada
Blue Marlin Fishing Madeira
Bluefin Tuna are among the ocean’s fiercest apex predators. They are generally targeted using two main methods: bait and trolling with lures. The latter, ‘big game trolling, ‘ has traditionally been the most used method; however, as tackle development and sportfishing have evolved, so has the way Bluefins are fished. One of the best methods is to chum the water with bits of dead fish to create an oily slick, attracting Tuna around the boat and allowing for a dead or live bait to be presented in front of them. This can be an exceptionally exciting way to fish.
Another method of fishing for them is with lures and jigs, but instead of trolling, the shoals of fish are located and then fished for on the drift, casting into the shoals, which are often rounding up large balls of baitfish.
Bluefin Tuna can reach sizes over 1000lb, and a fully mature adult specimen can average between 2 and 2.5 metres long. The average size for anglers fishing for them is between 100 to 300lb, but this figure can vary depending on the part of the world.
The largest specimen ever recorded by IGFA rules (International Game Fish Association) was caught off Nova Scotia, an area renowned for huge Atlantic Bluefins. It weighed 679kg or 1,497lb and measured 3.84m long.
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