Yellowfin tuna fishing out of Fernandina Beach means a Gulf Stream run of 50 to 70-plus miles, summer through fall, per local charter Pipe Dream. This is a port briefing for anyone running their own boat out of Fernandina Beach. Our yellowfin tuna guide covers the fish itself. This page covers the run from this inlet: the timing, the edge, the named structure, the local spread and who fishes it.
When yellowfin are off Fernandina Beach
Pipe Dream fishes yellowfin out of Fernandina Beach summer through fall. That is the window the local fleet works, and it is the first thing to settle when deciding whether to make the run.
Pipe Dream calls the 40 to 80 pound class the trophy size. Take that as the benchmark the local fleet uses, not a prediction of what you will find on a given day.
- Season: summer through fall (Pipe Dream)
- Trophy class: 40 to 80 pounds (Pipe Dream)
How far boats run and where
According to Pipe Dream, boats run 50 to 70-plus miles out of the inlet to the Gulf Stream edge when bait stacks up. For the wider Gulf Stream context, see the Atlantic Southeast picture (see also the wider Atlantic Southeast guide).
The run is worth making when bait is stacked on the edge, so the open question is where the edge sits on a given day. Fish are never guaranteed.
The temperature break and weed lines
Pipe Dream places the Gulf Stream temperature break and weed lines in 100 to 1000 ft, 50 to 70-plus miles out of the inlet. Bait stacks up along the break and the weed lines that run with it.
Before leaving the dock, you can read the break on OBS SST against Chart Contours. Chart layers are not for navigation.
The Ledge
The Ledge is a named ground out of Fernandina Beach. Use it as a reference point on the chart; it does not indicate that tuna are present.
Named structure between the inlet and the edge
These named reef and culvert sites lie in 60 to 83 ft near the port, well inside the run to the edge.
| Site | Depth (ft) | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Daddy (CD-06-#01) artificial reef | 67 | 30 25.920 N, 81 15.953 W (FWC guide) |
| Captain Daddy (CD-06-#02) artificial reef | 67 | |
| Fernandina Snapper Banks culverts (FC sites, 1988 to 1991) | 70-83 | Concrete culverts at about 30 36 to 30 38.7 N, 81 11 W |
| Fernandina Banks Barbett (wooden boat) and 1989 culverts | 70 | About 30 36.6 N, 81 10.6 W |
| FB-6 culverts site | 60 | About 30 39.9 N, 81 11.0 W |
| BA reef sites (BA Reef, BA Site) | 60-65 |
Positions are for reference. Chart layers and coordinates on this page are not for navigation.
How yellowfin are fished here
Pipe Dream trolls feathers and cedar plugs and watches for surface schools and working birds. The signal comes first, then the spread.
Birds and surface schools
Per Pipe Dream, surface schools and working birds are the signal. On the break or a weed line, birds working and fish on top show where to put the spread. They point you to fish but say nothing about whether those fish will bite.
Feathers and cedar plugs
Trolled feathers and cedar plugs are the local method, according to Pipe Dream. Spread detail is in our tuna fishing guides.
Who fishes yellowfin out of Fernandina Beach
Pipe Dream Charters offshore trips, run by Captain Scott Thompson, list yellowfin tuna out of this port. Their yellowfin fishing out of Fernandina Beach follows the pattern above: summer through fall, the Gulf Stream edge, feathers and cedar plugs.
FAQ about yellowfin tuna fishing out of Fernandina Beach
When is yellowfin season out of Fernandina Beach?
Pipe Dream fishes yellowfin here summer through fall.
How far do boats run for yellowfin?
Boats run 50 to 70-plus miles out of the inlet to the Gulf Stream edge when bait stacks up, per Pipe Dream.
What depth are the yellowfin grounds?
The Gulf Stream temperature break and weed lines sit in 100 to 1000 ft, according to Pipe Dream.
What lures are used locally?
Pipe Dream trolls feathers and cedar plugs, with surface schools and working birds as the signal.
What is trophy size here?
Pipe Dream calls the 40 to 80 pound class the trophy size.
Is there a local yellowfin charter?
Yes. Pipe Dream Charters, with Captain Scott Thompson, lists yellowfin tuna.
