Yellowfin Tuna

     The Yellowfin Tuna or Thunnus albacares consists of many colors including dark blue, silver and yellow. The Yellowfin, like other Tuna, is shaped like a torpedo. The characteristic the separates the Yellowfin from other Tuna is the elongated dorsal and anal fin (Council 1). The average size of a Yellowfin Tuna is 5 to 20 kg, or 11 pounds to 44 pounds. The world record Yellowfin came in weighing 388 pounds and 12 ounces. 
     Most people take charters when fishing for Yellowfin due to the distance you have to travel to catch them. If you decide to go on a private boat you need to have some serious gear on board to haul in the Tuna. Your rod should have the same width as a broom stick, and for line you should use 25-50 pounds test. If you are live or dead bait fishing you will need large size No. 9 or No. 10 hooks with barbed ends, to keep the Tuna from getting off as easily. Yellowfin also bite artificial lures. When using an artificial lure it is common to use a lure that is bigger than most freshwater fish (Largent 1). 
     Yellowfin Tuna are scarcely found closer than ten miles to the shore. It is easy to spot schools of Yellowfin because of the ruckus the Tuna make in the water. According to one observer of a Yellowfin school, they look like "a fish blender" in the water, speaking of all the left over dead fish floating towards the surface (Largent 1). If you are fishing for Yellowfin and you see a large disturbance in the water and there are birds flying over head, you have most likely located your Tuna. Yellowfin Tuna are commonly found in tropical waters of 70 to 84 degrees. 
     Yellowfin Tuna are commercially fished for, for the quality of their meat. Here is a recipe courtesy of "Cooks.com".


Marinade Ingredients: 

1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic (for each steak)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
small amount of sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a shallow 9 X 13 inch glass dish, prepare all of the marinade ingredients. Remember, if you have more than 2 8 oz tuna steaks, you might need to adjust the ingredients to marinate. Marinate both sides (dredge steaks and get marinade on both sides). Let sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes before grilling. *Soy sauce will overpower tuna if you marinate for too long!Light the grill while tuna is marinating. Once coals are white (30 minutes) spread them and clean the grill, then wipe with oil so steaks don't stick.
Grill for 4 minutes or less per side for 1 inch steaks, depending on how you like them. Steaks should be firm with pink in the middle. If you prefer steaks to be more rare, grilling time should be 2 1/2 minutes on each side.

Cited

Atuna.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.atuna.com/species/species_datasheets.htm>.

Council, South Atlantic Fishery Management. "Yellowfin Tuna." SAFMC Home. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.safmc.net/FishIDandRegs/FishGallery/YellowfinTuna/tabid/257/Default.aspx>.

Largent, Floyd. "Tuna Fishing Techniques: Catching Yellow Fin Tuna." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/fishingtechniqu_sfoz.htm>.

Swaney, Lori. "Grilled Ahi Steaks." Cooks.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1617,133179-245195,00.com>.

"Yellowfin Tuna Fish Identification." LandBigFish - Fishing Tackle Martketplace. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=87>.