Tuna Fishing Long Island Guide (Full Day Offshore Charter)

tuna fishing long island

Tuna fishing long island is one of the most exciting and challenging types of fishing. The fish are strong, fast swimming, and often live in schools, so finding them can be difficult.

Tuna Fishing Long Island can be a very intimidating sport to get into. You don’t need to spend years learning how to catch Tuna by trial and error.

We will educate you on everything you need to know about catching Tuna on Long Island NY, with a full-day offshore charter.

Learning how to catch Tuna is not as easy as it looks in the movies. There’s more involved than just throwing out your line and waiting for something big to come along.

That’s why we created this guide. We want you to have the best practice on your first Tuna fishing NY trip so that you’ll come back for more!

tuna fishing charters long island
Tuna fishing charters

Our aim with this ultimate guide is to give you an inside look at what tuna fishing long island charters are all about and help make planning easy.

Can you catch Tuna on Long Island? (Giant Tuna Fishing Long Island)

The quick answer is yes; you can catch Tuna on the long island almost all year round. The most productive time to catch giant Tuna on long islands is during the summer and the fall.

The northeastern coast of Long Island is home to one of the largest Tuna fisheries in all of New York State.

Long Island Tuna fishing is highly variable throughout the year. When it’s high season for yellowfins, August has been found by researchers to be an excellent time to fish because there are more large females present, which means bigger fights and better odds of landing that prized catch you’ve always wanted!

The low point (January-June) will have smaller Tuna available, but they do tend not to swim as far away, so your chances improve if they come within casting distance or at least a little closer than usual.

Where can you catch Tuna on Long Island?    

Tuna fish inhabit waters that stretch from the west end of Long Island to Massachusetts and as far south as New Jersey. 

The most popular places for catching Tuna are along the shore from where the Connetquot River meets the Atlantic Ocean to Montauk point.

Can you catch Tuna from the shore?

The simple answer here is no. If you are planning to catch Tuna from shore, I’m sorry, but it isn’t going to happen unless you’re fortunate – and we all know that luck isn’t a word that should be associated with fishing.

Catching yellowfin tuna from shore is much rarer than you may think.

The pelagic fish are mostly found in schools several miles offshore, and catching one without assistance can be very difficult, if not impossible!

Where can I catch Tuna on the East coast? (Best tuna fishing East Coast)

The east coast of the United States is property to some of the largest and most exciting tuna fishing. The fish caught here are faster, stronger, and larger than any other east coast state.

The Best locations and types of Tuna fishing on the east coast are:

  • Long Island, NY – East Patch, Great South Channel, Jeffrey’s Ledge, Great Circle Shoals
  • Virginia Beach – Old Grounds, 9-fathom curve, Norfolk Canyon
  • Delaware Bay – Wreck of the Carl D.
  • Maryland – Sunken Island, Blue Fish Bight
  • New Jersey – Shark river, Chatsworth bank, Belmar’s Passaic canyon
  • Massachusetts- Stellwagen Bank

What are the best types of Tuna to catch on Long Island?

  • Yellowfin Tuna is the most common Tuna caught along Long Island shores. They average between 40-60 lbs but can grow up to 250 lbs.

*The most common type of Tuna to catch is the Yellowfin Tuna, known for its speed and aggressive and active fighting styles. They average between 40-60 lbs but can grow up to upwards of 250 lbs

  • Bluefin Tuna – The bluefin tuna is the largest out of all seven species of Tuna. Bluefin can weigh up to 1300 lbs and grow to 10 feet in length! This type of Tuna is the biggest, fastest, strongest, and most intelligent out of all other types. One can only dream about catching one on Long Island.

*Catching a Bluefin Tuna on Long Island is very unlikely. These behemoths are the most significant, fastest, strongest, and most intelligent of all other types. One can only dream about catching one on Long Island.

How do you catch Tuna in Montauk?

While many types of tuna fish can be caught on Montauk fishing trips, one type stands out as being particularly exciting and rewarding to catch. 

This special catch includes both morning and evening trolling for them with various lures or bait during the daytime hours before switching over into chunking at night when you’re looking down depths up close, And not just any kind either. 

These guys love fresh meat! So put some effort into enticing those creatures by hand-feeding.

Whatever it is, they’ll bite onto so tightly until their jaw muscles start hurting from tension relief, then release slowly like an elastic band letting go after holding too tight again before letting your wrist return back.

Tuna fish are generally far from shore, fishing 12-20 nautical miles from the coast of Montauk. However, if you manage to get to them, they are exceptional fighters.

Tuna fishing in Montauk is done using heavy baitcasting gear and over 50lbs of the test.

Can you catch Tuna in New York?

New York waters are home to some of the best tuna fishing in the country. The waters surrounding New York have fantastic sport fishing opportunities, including both trolling and chunking.

New York is home to fantastic fishing opportunities, including trolling and chunking. Tuna are abundant in this area of the country and can grow up to 200lbs.

What month is best for tuna fishing? 

The best time for catching Tuna is when it’s in season. The winter can be too cold for them, so they head down south and feed on pantherfish before returning north during June or July.

How long is yellowfin tuna season?

Yellowfin tuna season lasts from July to October. If you are awaiting the right time for catching one, June and July are ideal. 

It turns out to depend on where you live. In Hawaii, anglers will want to head out in May and June when their catch has a higher chance at being big ones, while those living near Louisiana can enjoy an entire year-round regimen with opportunities every month!

What time is best to catch Tuna?

Tuna typically feed during the morning and evening. They can be caught overnight, but they generally like warm water. This is when they will be closest to the surface.

During the day, the Tuna will be deeper to avoid predators. They also feed at night when they come up closer to the surface.

Squid fishing long Island

We’ll start with one of the most popular and rewarding species. Squid like to hang out near shore and can be caught by trolling and chunking. 

You can catch Squid during both day trips and night with little difference in the type or size of big fish caught. During the winter months, Squid can be caught in deeper waters.

Is there Squid in Long Island Sound?

With its brightly colored body and large eyes, it’s easy to spot the loligo squid in Long Island Sound. 

These creatures can grow up to 15 feet long! They’re typically found during certain seasons when their food source is scarce – but not for much longer, though, because this animal production machine will soon be ready with lots more Squid for everyone.

The first record of these squids happened back in 1665 where they were discovered by Dutch settlers living on Governors Island less than three miles away from New York City limits.

Where can I catch Squid on Long Island?

Squid fishing in Long Island is fantastic and can be done anywhere between New York City and Montauk. Most squids are caught near shore. However, they can be caught in much deeper water as well.

Squid are found in deep waters between 40-100 feet during the winter months, but they’re found in much shallower waters between 10-20 feet deep during the summer months.

What are the best months to catch Squid?

The best time to catch Squid is during the fall months, especially in June and July, spawning. 

During this month, you’ll see the large females full of eggs. The Squid will move into much shallower waters to reproduce, making them easier to catch.

How are bluefin tuna caught?

Bluefin tuna are caught in a similar way to other large fish. They can be caught from boats that have been specifically designed for this task or from a larger charter boat.

Bluefin tuna are often caught by trolling, but they can also be caught through chunking. The bait that is used for this is either Squid or mackerel.

All bait needs to be fresh for it to smell appealing. Bluefin tuna are not so easy to catch. Fishing for them is a form of art, persistence, and patience.

Commonly Asked Questions about Bluefin tuna fishing Long Island & Tuna fishing NY (FAQ)

Conclusion

Have you ever wondered if tuna fishing is possible on Long Island? Well, the quick answer to this query is YES! In fact, with our help and expertise as your guide, we can make it happen for you. We hope you found this overview of Long Island tuna fishing helpful and that we’ve motivated you to try it out for yourself. If not, we suggest checking out our other blog posts on Where to Fish on Lady Bird Lake? (Lady Bird Lake Fishing Guide). Thanks again for reading!

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