Fish On The Edge

Yellowfin Tuna

(Thunnus albacares)

Yellowfin are the primary target species in the canyons of the Northeast, whether trolling during the day or chunking after dark. Their diet consists largely of squid and flying fish, with their pursuit of the latter sometimes taking them 6 feet into the air. Yellowfin have a weakness for spreader bars and skirted ballyhoo, similar to the weakness many captains have for fresh, seared ahi. Local yellowfin range from 5- to 10-pound “footballs” up to 150-pound “cows.”

Bigeye Tuna

(Thunnus obesus)
The bully of the canyons, the bigeye hits like a freight train and rarely raids a trolling spread without backup. The moments following a triple banger of 200-pound bigeye can bring utter chaos to the cockpit of even the most experienced offshore crews. Bigeye are most comfortable at depths of 400 feet or more. Unlike yellowfin, they do not venture to midshore structures. The bigeye of the Northeast canyons are most often large, 150 pounds or more, though it’s possible smaller specimens are misidentified as yellowfin or bluefin. Beyond the larger eye, the bigeye’s most distinguishing characteristic is its deep, nearly round body.

Blue Marlin

(Makaira nigricans)

The “lady in the blue dress” isn’t nearly as abundant in the Northeast canyons as she is farther south, but the marlin that make it this far north are usually brutes. Every year, stories are told dockside of captains watching helplessly as a heavy-shouldered blue tail-walks over the horizon, trailing a full spool of line from an emptied 50-wide reel. Blue marlin feel better with 500 feet below them, but they will cruise the “flats,” hunting weedlines and buoys.

White Marlin

(Tetrapturus albidus)

Much smaller than its big blue cousin, the white marlin is one of the most popular targets in the canyons. White marlin range from 40 to 100 pounds, but anything over 80 pounds is a big one. They are great jumpers, well matched to 30-pound-class tackle. Trolling with small, natural baits is the best way to target whites. Fishermen must be on their toes and ready to drop back a bait to an attacking fish. Unlike tuna, which grab a bait on the run, white marlin try to disable a baitfish with their bill before eating it.

Swordfish

(Xiphias gladius)

Spending their days in the abyss and their nights hunting squid near the surface, the gladiator is one of most prized species of the canyons. Drastically different than its sunlight-loving cousin the marlin, the swordfish has adapted to low-light hunting with its apple-sized eyeball.
Squid make up most of a swordfish’s diet, but they also eat deepwater fish. The average swordfish taken in the Northeast is between 75 and 125 pounds, but swords of up to 400 pounds have been taken in recent years.

Supporting Cast

In addition to the gamefish, the canyons are full of a wide variety of marine life that rarely ventures close to shore, so when fishing in the deep, be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

Sea Turtles

Several species of sea turtles follow the warm Gulf Stream water from their mating grounds near the equator to the canyons of the Northeast. The turtles can be seen swimming along the surface, occasionally tilting back their heads to take a breath of air. Sea turtle species that frequent the canyons include the loggerhead, green and Ridley.

Dolphins (Mammal)

Some of the greatest spectacles in the canyons are the acre-sized pods of dolphins, jumping and playing on the water’s surface. It’s not unusual for these big dolphins to hang around the boat, riding the bow wave and taking a good look at the unusual “fish” motoring through their canyons. Dolphin species in the canyons include (but are not limited to) the Risso’s, striped, spotted and common.

Skipjack Tuna

(Katsuwonus pelamis)
When the skipjack makes the occasional appearance inshore, its speed and size place it near the top of the food chain, but in the canyons the skipjack tuna is only a few links above the bottom. Yellowfin, bigeye and blue marlin all get fat on these oily tunas, so whenever you see them, be sure to send out a couple black-and-purple lures to tempt the fish below the skipjack.

Mako Shark

(Isurus oxyrinchus)
The mako shark has the power, the speed and the size to take down blue marlin, yellowfin tuna and just about anything else that swims at the edge of the continental shelf, it’s common to see them finning along the surface or even ripping through a trolling spread.