Yellowfin Tuna
Illustration: gardenroutefishing.co.za
The heavyweight prize of the offshore grounds — yellowfin over 80 kg are taken off the southern Cape when warm water pushes in.
Where & how: the shelf edge and canyons off Mossel Bay and Algoa Bay in summer. Troll larger konas wide, watch for birds and bait balls, then chunk or throw live baits when fish show. Poppers around feeding schools produce explosive strikes.
Tackle: serious gear — 24-37 kg stand-up outfits, quality reels with plenty of drag and line. A big yellowfin fight is measured in hours, not minutes.
Table: outstanding — sashimi-grade when handled correctly: bleed, gut and ice immediately.
Field guide
Bores hard for the reef the moment it's hooked — turn its head early or you'll be cut off.
How to catch Yellowfin Tuna
24-37 kg stand-up, high-capacity reels
Conventional boat reel (4/0–6/0) for deeper marks, or a 6000–10000 spinning reel for lighter inshore reef.
0.40 mm mono or 30–50 lb braid.
3/0–6/0 octopus/beak hooks on a two-hook bottom trace.
0.60–0.80 mm fluorocarbon or mono trace.
Large konas, live baits, poppers on schools
When to catch Yellowfin Tuna
Summer, shelf edge, first light
Slack tide over the reef makes bait presentation easiest; the fish often feed best on the tide change.
Feeds across a range; roughly 15–20 °C inshore, holding deeper as water warms.
🥅 Landing
Boat: use a gaff or net for the pot, lift smaller fish by the trace. Watch spines and teeth.
♻️ Release
Use a descending device to recompress fish brought up from depth (barotrauma) and give them the best chance of survival.
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