Big tuna are no joke on rod and reel. They’ll test your mettle and leave you exhausted. Taking turns on the crank is a smart move. (Photo by Bob Humphrey)
September 29, 2025
By Bob Humphrey
As midday oozed slowly into a late-summer afternoon, the doldrums set in. The fish finder showed a blank, blue screen and my crew was bored and tired of sitting at anchor, watching the balloons suspending our baits bob in the waves. “Reel ‘em in, we’re switching things up,” I instructed. Once the lines were cleared and the anchor hauled, we swapped the 130 outfits for 80s, clipped on daisy chains and squid bars and trolled in the general direction of home.
Not used to trolling for our bluefin tunas, the strike that soon followed caught us by surprise and paralyzed everyone onboard for a few long seconds. It took my shout of “fish on!” to snap our crew out of its trance and into bluefin tuna fishing action. In an instant, all idle lines were cleared, and the harpoon, gaffs and tail wrap were ready well before the brief fight ended. Once boatside, the bluefin quickly came over the rail with a heave. Fresh sushi would be on the dinner menu.
BLUEFIN TUNA TIMING Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, when kids go back to school and a good many boaters and anglers call it a season. But experienced bluefin anglers know some of the best fishing still lies ahead. And while you may have to wait out the occasional hurricane, the weather is usually nice. Days are warm, the winds light and the seas calm—great conditions for tuna forays. Bluefins are still around and they’re putting on their feed bags in preparation for the long fall pilgrimage. They also remain in their summer patterns, so it isn’t too hard to find some. The following is a trio of consistent spots in the Northeast to help you put some bluefins on ice.
Whether grilled, poke’d or eaten raw, there’s perhaps no better tasting fish species available to Northeast anglers than wild-caught tuna. (Shutterstock photo) STELLWAGEN BANK Like many other predators, bluefin tuna gravitate toward structures that attract abundant forage. Despite being pelagic fish that migrates thousands of miles of deep ocean, they consistently frequent and stage around the same large underwater structures off the New England coast.
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Stellwagen Bank, which spans more than 600 square miles, is one of the top tuna migration hotspots. In fact, few tuna-gathering places in the region can rival the number of fish it yields every season. Located about 20 miles offshore, almost in a straight line between Provincetown and Cape Ann, Mass., Stellwagen is easy to reach even by medium-size boats. Waters between its southwest corner and Provincetown handsomely reward tuna anglers employing a wide range of tactics and gear, particularly those who favor sight-fishing for schoolies with a run-and-gun approach.
Those smaller bluefin tunas—ranging from 20-pound “footballs” to specimens weighing better than 50 pounds—are often spotted blitzing on the surface. The presence of whales, shearwaters and gannets also helps betray their whereabouts. Slow-trolling while keeping a keen eye on your sounder might reveal tuna feeding on the bottom and perhaps provide a chance for jigging. Those who’d rather anchor and deploy live baits will have better luck setting up near the steep edges of the bank’s southwest corner.
From the mainland, tuna waters between Provincetown and Stellwagen’s southwest corner are within striking distance of ports like Plymouth, Scituate and Boston, though boats departing from the latter might want to consider joining the Cape Ann fleet farther north.
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The fishing changes dramatically as you move closer to Stellwagen’s northwest corner. The footballs thin out and, for the most part, you’ll encounter bluefins 73 inches and longer—sometimes much longer. The fish tend to be more spread out, however, so sight-fishing for busting schools becomes a frustrating game of whack-a-mole. Trolling usually isn’t very effective either. And while drifting works sometimes, most anglers focusing their efforts along the bank’s northern half will anchor and fish with liveys instead.
Source: fisheries.noaa.gov/highly-migratory-species JEFFREYS LEDGE As you continue north, the fleet fishing off Stellwagen’s northwest corner will be barely out of sight when you encounter Jeffreys Ledge, the next big slab of submarine structure. It runs northeast from Cape Ann to Cape Neddick. At 20 miles long and 4 miles wide, it offers a considerable swath of productive water easy for anglers from Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine to reach from ports like Newburyport, Portsmouth, South Portland and anywhere in between.
Depths at Jeffreys Ledge range from about 160 to 210 feet, and the bottom is mostly rocky with gravel along the edges. At anchor, it’s usually best to set up close to the edge or even a little over the structure because that’s where the bluefins will cruise, feeding on bait fish pushed up by the current. However, anglers should keep a watchful eye on the horizon and their fish finder while going to and from the ledge, as fish may also be encountered around smaller structures or even in random locations.
JERSEY SHORE Mentions of tuna fishing out of New Jersey often conjures images of 100-mile trips to the canyons. In recent years, however, hot bluefin bites have occurred much closer to shore with increasing frequency. Every year is different, but the Jersey nearshore bites tend to be more short-lived and take place as the tuna pass through on their way north in May and June, and then migrating south in September and October.
All the aforementioned tactics work off New Jersey, but the excitement of running-and-gunning to cast plugs and jigs at tuna blitzing schools of bunker on the surface makes that the most popular method. If you can’t find bluefins on top, try chunking over structure. In these parts, tuna will key more on the forage than the structure, which is less pronounced than it is farther north. One spot always worth a shot is Barnegat Ridge, some 15 miles east of Barnegat Inlet. It’s really two ridges about 1.2 miles apart. Chunking might be more effective here, particularly along the steep edge of the South Ridge.
A few miles north and about half the distance from shore, you’ll come across Seaside Lump. The relative lack of structure in the area makes it a magnet for bait fish and anything that eats it. Still, the general vicinity is better suited to trolling and run-and-gun popping.
SEPTEMBER BITE BENEFITS In addition to favorable weather and exciting action, September’s nearshore bluefin fishery offers convenience. With spots between 15 and 30 miles offshore, you don’t need to leave the dock at midnight to be there by daybreak, and you won’t break the bank to cover your fuel cost either. Bait fish are at their greatest abundance now also, and many areas offer multiple options for tackle and techniques. Get out there before prevailing winds shift to the north and the big bluefins migrate to their winter haunts.
This article was featured in the September issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
