LITTLE TUNNY (Euthynnus alletteratus)

OTHER NAMES: Blue Bonito, False Albacore, Little Tuna.

RANGE: All Florida coasts, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. 

HABITAT: All Florida coasts, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. 

DESCRIPTION: Wavy lines on back and spots around pectoral fin make this one easy to identify but it is well known anyway to nearly every angler who ventures very far from shore.

 SIZE: Common anywhere from a couple of pounds to 15 pounds; exceeds 30 pounds. World record 35 pounds, 2 ounces.

FOOD VALUE: Not highly valued in Florida, but very good when lighter meat is separated from the darker. 

GAME QUALITIES: Outstanding battler on light tackle. 

TACKLE AND BAITS: Schools can often be approached and cast to with jigs, spoons and small plugs. They can be moody and selective, however, so you may have to try various baits and retrieves. Also a good fish for fly casters – with same advice. Often caught from piers on the Atlantic Coast and Panhandle, usually with tackle of surf dimensions. Trollers take them on everything from offshore lures and rigged Ballyhoo or Cigar Minnows to small feathers.

FISHING SYSTEMS: Drifting; Trolling.