Six top spots to battle behemoth yellowfin tuna - and then some...

Feb 8, 2010
By Doug Olander

Five More Great Yellowfin Spots
Oregon Inlet, North Carolina — Charters and private boats take advantage of the configuration of the Eastern Seaboard, which juts into the Atlantic here to offer a shorter run to blue water, so Oregon Inlet boats find blue water usually in 30 to 40 miles. From May through August, find the best shot at big yellowfin (and fair weather), though "big" is relative. While yellowfin provide a very popular fishery here with good numbers, it's rare to get them much over 100 pounds. However, as Capt. Billy Maxwell (www.tunafever.com) notes, bigeye may be mixed into the catches and often run upward of 200 pounds and occasionally to 300. Peak of the peak: the July full moon. Skippers like Maxwell favor kites, often baited with Carolina Lures' Yummee Fly 'N Fish.