Yellowfin Tuna

Yellowfin tuna visit Guadeloupe’s offshore waters seasonally. Their bright yellow dorsal and anal fins are easy to recognise and can become very long on large specimens, sometimes reaching towards the tail.

Beautifully built, yellowfin are exceptionally powerful and enduring opponents. For their size and weight, they are among the hardest-fighting fish in Guadeloupe.

The last 30 metres of a fight can be especially difficult as the fish circles beneath the boat, resisting every effort to bring it up.

Some fish become exhausted during the fight and arrive at the boat dead. Apart from juveniles, most of the yellowfin we encounter here weigh 30 to 70 kg, although much larger fish occur.

Yellowfin demand high-quality tackle. They put reels, and particularly drag washers, under considerable strain.

On one memorable trip, we lost a fish estimated well over 100 kg at the boat after a five-and-a-half-hour fight, using a heavy rod, a Stella 20000 and 100 lb braid. We saw it several times before the line broke.

Anglers debate whether bluefin or yellowfin are stronger. Having caught both, my vote goes to yellowfin!

We mainly target them on spinning gear with live bonito on a Catalina rig, or with bait while drifting a chum trail. They also take jigs, trolled lures and poppers when feeding at the surface. Be ready for a demanding fight!

See the live bait section of Fishing techniques for more information.

Catches from guided trips

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