Black Fin Tuna

[Dead Eye]

Seems the blk fin tuna are being caught regularly in s fl. Are they good to eat? Do you compare the meat to YFT or BFT? What methods are used to catch them? What depths? How far from the beach do you look for them? What signs do you look for to locate them? A lot of questions, curious.
Thanks, John

[PurpleGold]

I have never specifically targeted blackfins but have caught a few while pulling my regular spread. I know sometimes here in NC, some people catch them a little closer to shore while king fishing with live bait. As far as eating them goes, I think they are just as good as yellowfin and probably better than bluefin. I have never eaten bluefin myself, but have always heard that there ain't much to it.

[Lowcountryboy]

Blackfin are comparable to Yellowfin. I bleed all my tuna and can't tell the difference between the 2, whether eating sushi or just throwing them on the grill.

Down here (Charleston, SC) we catch them on the troll mixed in with Yellowfin. Look for water temps in the low 70s, lots of bait on the sounder and the same depths you would fish for Yellowfin. Just my .02...

[Deep C]

The blackfin is a dandy little fish. Good eating... The little ones make great yellowfin class tataki out of their little loins. The larger ones can be a touch strong so they get a soak in italian dressing before hitting a grill.
We see more larger (15-25lbs) ones in the keys. Some we catch while sailfishing with live ballyhoos on the edge or we can target them on the deep water lumps using live pilchards for chum and bait. We also target them with feathers and another secret bait I cant talk about.
Up this way they are pretty much incidental catch on small feathers, etc. There are some caught sail or kingfishing when the pilchards are used. Generally they are too small to eat goggle eyes...
The big ones run in the keys through the winter. Their summer run of them are usually mid class of about 10 lbs.
Our small ones are usually a fall thing but this year they are here even now. Our big ones are hit and miss through the years...

[saltshaker30]

Yep they are great eatin.

Down South here, we go out in the late afternoon and chum them.
We sit on any upwelling and chumm the piss out of small pilchards.

Somtimes it works --- somtimes it don't

[hotrodmarlin]

We catch a lot of them in the fall in NC . When they are schooled up we troll fast around them with cedar plugs and small jets- lots of multiple hookups. I've caught a few in the keys trolling small black feathers while the charter boats were tearing them up chumming and dropping down live pilchards.
Bleed and gut them after you catch them and they will taste great.
Great for tuna salad.