This page covers blackfin tuna fishing from Carrabelle, a Florida Panhandle port on the Carrabelle River. Boats reach the Gulf of Mexico through East Pass. Blackfin are not documented from Carrabelle itself, so this page applies what holds for the Panhandle and Big Bend coast and ties it to the port with local facts. For the entrance, ramps and marinas, see the Carrabelle port page. For the wider coast, see the blackfin tuna fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and the wider Gulf of Mexico guide.
When the species is around the port
Along the Eastern Gulf and Panhandle, the blackfin season runs from mid-March to Christmas, peaking from the August full moon to just after the November full moon. Fish bite best at dawn and dusk. The water sets the timing more than the calendar.
Where boats run
East Pass is a buoyed channel that runs around the west end of Dog Island toward the Carrabelle River. Current here is ordinarily at least 1 knot and sometimes reaches 3 to 4 knots, and it sets across the shoals at an angle. Wind against a strong ebb can steepen the water at the pass, so time transits near slack or early flood and check conditions yourself. Keep inside the buoys, because a few wrecks with unknown depths lie on the east side of the channel. Duer Channel, at the east end of St. George Sound, is unmarked and changes often, so it suits only light-draft boats with local knowledge. Along this stretch of the Panhandle, the shelf runs wide, and the run to the 100-fathom curve is long. A fixed highway bridge with 40 feet of clearance crosses the river about half a mile above the turning basin, so check air draft before going upriver.
Grounds and structure
No blackfin ground is documented for Carrabelle. In the Gulf, blackfin tie to rigs, lumps and wrecks, which act as small rigs, so the artificial reef sites off Carrabelle are the kind of structure worth checking, though none is documented for blackfin. Named offshore sites include the Carrabelle 10 Mile Reef System, with the Dr. Bart Carey Reef in about 50 feet, Robby’s Reef about 10 miles southeast of Dog Island, and Mickler Reef about 18 miles southeast of Dog Island. Dog Island Reef is a shoal with 2 to 6 feet over much of it, so give it room.
How the species is fished out of the port
The Gulf methods for blackfin apply here. Drift cut bait down a steady slick on the up-current side of structure, and keep a pitch bait ready for fish that rise into it. Troll small feathers and cedar plugs along temperature breaks, color edges and the shelf edge, with the lures well back from the transom. When fish show under birds, pop small topwater plugs, or drop a vertical jig to marks on the sounder. Use light tackle and a fluorocarbon leader.
Who fishes it
No Carrabelle charter is documented for blackfin, and no tournament is documented for the port. Ask any captain whether blackfin are on the trip before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When is blackfin season at Carrabelle?
No Carrabelle-specific season is documented. Across the Eastern Gulf and Panhandle, the regional season runs from mid-March to Christmas, peaking in late summer and fall.
How do I tell blackfin from yellowfin?
Check the finlets. Blackfin finlets are dusky with no bright yellow, while yellowfin finlets are yellow. Blackfin often school with yellowfin, so check each fish.
Are there closed areas on the runs?
Some named lumps on the Panhandle shelf sit inside federal closed areas. Check the federal rule before you fish near any lump.
