# Blackfin at okaloosa?



## Ringo Redux (Jul 7, 2010)

Hey guys,

I make no claims to be a veteran fisherman, despite having the motivation. Still, though, I heard something yesterday that perked up my ears as potentially rare. Hopefully, I'm wrong, because this'll be awesome. My buddy checked the fishing at the Okaloosa Island pier yesterday and in the middle of the day the guy said they had pulled up one cobia and a few blackfin tuna. Are blackfin a common occurrence inshore on the panhandle? I live over in PC right now, but it'd seem to follow if they are here (Okaloosa) in pier fishing range, they may be over in PC, too. Anyone?

-R.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

They've been catching them out of yaks for a few weeks now.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

I caught one yesterday on a live threadfin about 1.5 miles from the beach, they are in close for sure


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## Ringo Redux (Jul 7, 2010)

So getting a pier tuna or a kayak within sight of the beach isn't unrealistic on a semi-normal basis? I mean, yearly?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Would it be worth a trip to just target BFT? Probably not. Does it happen yearly, yes it does.

Heck last year at Navarre I saw a really nice ARS and there was a legal AJ hanging around the pier a few days too. I also saw a YFT cruising the bar at Pensacola Pier a few years back and I believe I read somewhere on here that a guy caught a YFT from the beach.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

I threw at a school of blackfins at Navarre last week and saw a bunch of schools exploding on ballyhoo. They are fairly common in the spring and fall near shore.


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## Ringo Redux (Jul 7, 2010)

You guys are great, thanks.


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## amarcafina (Aug 24, 2008)

Most likely Bonita but possibly !!
We caught 6 Bonita yesterday trolling close in


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## Texas9 (Feb 1, 2012)

amarcafina said:


> Most likely Bonita but possibly !!
> We caught 6 Bonita yesterday trolling close in


There has been bonita caught this week, but also at least 4 black fin tuna.


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## Rockntroll (Oct 2, 2007)

Several years back we were catching sailfish in kayaks close to the Navarre pier


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## compulsivehp (May 18, 2010)

I grew up watching my dad catch blackfin tuna off the old Okaloosa Island peir in the fall before Opal torn it down. They even had an annual peir tournment.


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

they are blackfin not bonito and they are not uncommon inshore in the spring or fall i have seen them within casting distance from the beach but then again this isnt daily or even yearly just hit or miss typicly when clean water pushes in and the ballyhoo or rain minnows come in thick they will show up there are also sails and dolphin that will push inshore off and on from late march to november but its all hit or miss most of these fish are all caught by anglers targeting kings whether off the pier or in a boat/yak


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## tjwareusmc (Jul 10, 2008)

I've been trolling spoons for kings lately, will a BFT hit a spoon? I would LOVE to catch one! My boat is small so I stay within sight of the land


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

tjwareusmc said:


> I've been trolling spoons for kings lately, will a BFT hit a spoon? I would LOVE to catch one! My boat is small so I stay within sight of the land


A spoon wouldn't be the typical selection but neither would a monster threadfin with wire stingers either. If a fish is hungry and something that looks like food crosses its path who to say they will or won't eat it? If you really want to try and catch a BFT specifically maybe put a little feather or jet way back in your spread, tuna generally like small baits.


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## tjwareusmc (Jul 10, 2008)

Thanks sniper! I might try that tomorrow.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

tjwareusmc said:


> Thanks sniper! I might try that tomorrow.



They like pink stretch's too


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## EODangler (Apr 7, 2011)

tjwareusmc said:


> I've been trolling spoons for kings lately, will a BFT hit a spoon? I would LOVE to catch one! My boat is small so I stay within sight of the land


Some guy caught one on a Gotcha Saturday morning! Obviously he wasn't targeting BFT, just got lucky.


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## Texas9 (Feb 1, 2012)

Lee caught one on a white cobia jig a couple weeks ago. If you're trolling, use a mini Marlin star lure. White and silver skirts work well.


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## Hawkseye (Feb 17, 2012)

As has been stated, it's not uncommon to see them close to shore this time of year BUT you can't count on it happening. I have seen very large schools of them on more than a few occasions withing 100 yards of the Destin pass.


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## pcolasoldier31 (Apr 18, 2012)

WOW....reading this post, I didn't even know there were Black Fin's in the Gulf...I always thought there were just some YFT....:blink:


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## Fisherdad1 (Oct 4, 2007)

Speaking of yellow fin, I recall when one of those was hanging around the original Navarre Pier about 27 years ago. I was about 15. I remember Roddy Pate standing on the rail with either a needlefish or a big ballyhoo rigged up trying to get that monster to bite. And you just knew that the odds of getting that thing on the pier if it did bite were pretty slim, but you also knew never to count out Roddy Pate.
Fisherdad1


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## PBTH (Oct 1, 2007)

Blackfin, yellowfin, bluefin, and big eye are all found in the GOM. Blackfin are generally so prevalent around rigs that they are the go to cut bait for chunking yellowfins.


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

I've had the best luck snolving ballies. They like the bait moving fast and when they grab it jack'um, don't freespool or they spit the bait out.

I would wait until they were showering the ballies, cast in front of the school and try to retrive as fast as the bait school was running.

Caught a few on ciggies the same way, plus I could cast them further. There was a 2 week run at Pen. pier back in Oct 88. I caught 5 in those two weeks and every one weighed either 22, 23 or 24 lbs. 

Did see a yellowfinner once but he was nose down and cruising on.

Rick


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

Fisherdad1 said:


> Speaking of yellow fin, I recall when one of those was hanging around the original Navarre Pier about 27 years ago. I was about 15. I remember Roddy Pate standing on the rail with either a needlefish or a big ballyhoo rigged up trying to get that monster to bite. And you just knew that the odds of getting that thing on the pier if it did bite were pretty slim, but you also knew never to count out Roddy Pate.
> Fisherdad1


I fished Navarre Pier alot back then and I think I remember the exact same day. It was the only yellowfin that I have ever seen in a life time of pier fishing. This yellowfin mainly hung around the west side of the pier and would follow baits but would not take anything we offered it.When I got to the pier I remember Roddy telling me that he had thrown every type bait possible at it and was tired of fooling with it. It was a pretty good sized yellowfin and I can even remember seeing the sickles on it.


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