Yellowfin Tuna
Fast, powerful and superb on the plate, yellowfin tuna are one of Sydney's great offshore prizes. They roam the blue water wide of the coast, and hooking a big yellowfin means a long, grinding fight, and some of the best sashimi you will ever eat.
About the yellowfin tuna
Torpedo-shaped and built for speed, the yellowfin tuna is unmistakable with its metallic blue-black back, silver belly and the long, bright yellow finlets and sickle fins that give it its name. They hunt in the open blue water, often with birds and bait marking the way, and pound for pound they are among the hardest-pulling fish in the ocean, capable of long, deep, punishing runs.
Yellowfin are found in Sydney’s offshore waters and run best from December to April, when the warm currents push in. Everything from school fish to genuine models over 100kg turns up off the coast, and beyond the fight, they are prized eating, rich, meaty and perfect for sashimi and steaks.
Yellowfin Tuna at a glance
| Name | Yellowfin Tuna |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Ahi |
| Scientific name | Thunnus albacares |
| Best season in NSW | Dec–Apr |
| Habitat | Offshore |
| Where found in NSW | Sydney offshore waters |
| Size and bag limits | No limit common rec, varies |
| Average size | 30–80kg |
| Max size | 100kg+ |
| Fishing method | Trolling |
| Best bait / lure | Lures, Poppers |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Eating quality | Excellent |
| Taste | Rich meaty |
| Recipe ideas | Sashimi, steaks |
Trolling and casting
Yellowfin are chased over the blue water, and the method changes with how the fish are feeding.
The proven methods
The classic approach is trolling a spread of skirted lures and swimming baits along the current lines and temperature breaks where the bait holds. When the fish are up and feeding on the surface, casting poppers and stickbaits at the school is heart-stopping, visual fishing. We run quality game gear, and the crew works the spread and the fight from hookup to gaff.
How Wahoo puts you on them
Yellowfin follow the warm water and the bait, so finding them is about reading the ocean, the temperature breaks, the current lines, the birds and the bait schools. George Aslanian has decades chasing tuna off Sydney, and he knows the runs and the timing. We put you over the fish, coach you through the long fight, and help you look after your catch for the table. Ready to go? Book a Sydney game fishing charter.
Other Game & offshore fish
Black Marlin
Black marlin (Istiompax indica): Sydney's summer game-fishing prize, chased offshore on the troll and tagged and released. Season, size, methods, plus how to catch them.
Blue Marlin
Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans): the heavyweight billfish of the NSW offshore grounds, a bucket-list capture on the blue water. Season, size, methods, plus how to catch them.
Bluefin Tuna
Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii): powerful cool-season tuna off the NSW coast, brutal fighters and top-shelf sashimi. Season, size, methods, plus how to catch them.
Mahi Mahi
Mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), also called dolphinfish: dazzling, acrobatic and fast-growing, a summer favourite off Sydney. Season, size, methods and eating quality.
Ready to chase some yellowfin?
Tell us your dates and crew and we will run you offshore for Sydney's hard-pulling yellowfin tuna, all gear supplied, every level welcome. Browse the full species guide, or head wide on our game and deep sea charters.