Skipjack tuna

Small tuna with 3–5 dark stripes along the lower belly and no stripes or spots on the back.

4–10 lb.

About 3.5 ft and 45 lb.

Flying fish, ballyhoo, small tunas, mackerels and squid.

Open-ocean traveler that follows current edges, weed lines and bait schools.

Found from South Florida & Keys, Florida Atlantic Coast, Florida Gulf Coast, Northern Gulf (AL–TX), Mexico Gulf Coast, Mexican Caribbean & Belize, Central America, Colombia & Venezuela, Bahamas & Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Jamaica & Cayman, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao, Trinidad & Tobago, Georgia & South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay, Delaware & New Jersey, New York, Long Island & Connecticut and Rhode Island & Massachusetts. Open ocean, often in big surface schools near weed lines and current edges.

Open ocean, often in big surface schools near weed lines and current edges.

Surface to 300 ft.

Surface to 100 ft over deep water (300+ ft).

Varies by species and area; winter for sailfish off southeast Florida, spring–summer for many others.

Morning bites are common; fish the whole day when the current edge is right.

Ocean current and temperature breaks matter more than tide.

Moderate wind against the current can stack bait — but only go when it's safe.

Small live baits and strips.

Small feathers, cedar plugs, spoons and metal jigs.

20–50 lb class trolling or stand-up outfit; kite and live-bait rigs for sailfish.

5/0–8/0 non-offset circle hooks with natural bait (required for billfish tournaments and federal HMS rules).

20–50 lb mono or braid with mono top shot.

40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.

Troll small lures at 6–8 knots around birds and busting fish, or cast metal jigs into schools.

One of the best baits for marlin and big wahoo — rig it whole or in strips.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Good eating when fresh.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Dark, rich meat — bleed it right away; great seared, grilled or in poke.

Bills and fast runs — never grab the bill of a lit-up fish, and keep big fish in the water.

Federal HMS rules apply; an HMS permit is needed for tunas in U.S. federal waters — check NOAA. A Florida fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida rules are set by FWC (myfwc.com). Federal waters fall under NOAA Fisheries. Other states and countries set their own limits — check before you keep fish.

Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.