The smallest tuna: football-shaped, dark blue-black back, silver sides, with short pectoral fins and dusky (not bright yellow) finlets. Galveston fish commonly 5-25 lb.
⚖ Texas & federal limits Bag, size and season rules apply — several offshore species run on federal seasons that open and close by the year. Check the current TPWD Outdoor Annual →.
On the water
WhenYear-round offshore with warmer months strongest; often a dawn/dusk and nighttime bite around the floaters. Best when blackfin are schooling on bait near the rigs; calm days for the run out.WhereOffshore blue water around the deepwater rigs/floaters, shelf-edge banks, and current rips, generally 30-100+ nm in deeper water. They school near floaters and along bait-rich edges.HowChunking/chumming around floaters, casting jigs and small poppers to surface schools, vertical jigging beneath the fish, or trolling small skirts/feathers and cedar plugs. Live bait freelined in a chum slick is deadly.BehaviorFast, schooling pelagics that key on small baitfish, squid, and shrimp around structure and current breaks; they blitz bait at the surface and hold around the lit floaters at night.The fightPound-for-pound one of the hardest-pulling small fish - fast runs and deep, circling dives that punch above their weight.
Baits that work
Live cigar minnows, hardtails, and pilchards
Chunked/whole cut bait in a chum slick
Vertical jigs and small poppers
Cedar plugs and feather trolling lures
Tackle
Rod & reelMedium-heavy 7 ft spinning or conventional with smooth dragLine30-50 lb braidLeader40-60 lb fluoro (go lighter/clearer if they're finicky)TerminalCircle or J hooks 3/0-6/0; jigs with strong assist hooksRigFreeline/chunk rig, vertical jigs, or trolled feathers/cedar plugs
The bait clock
☀ DawnSmall feathers/cedar plugs on the troll
Low-light trolling around rigs and lumps catches blackfin feeding high in the column.
☼ MiddayVertical/flutter jigs dropped deep
Sun pushes blackfin down; jigging marks on the sounder beats surface baits midday.
☾ DuskSmall trolled feathers or live bait
The evening low-light window brings them back up to feed.
★ NightLive bait or chunks under rig lights
Blackfin stack in rig light halos at night eating bait drawn to the glow.
[{'months': [9, 10, 11, 12], 'note': 'Fall-winter is prime around deepwater rigs and banks off Texas.'}]
Yellowfin finlets are bright yellow with black edges and the second dorsal and anal fins grow long and sickle-shaped; blackfin fins stay short and dark.
Handling & releasePelagic - no barotrauma. Bleed and ice instantly for quality (they spoil fast in the heat). Watch finlets and thrashing; support the body for release and get them back quickly.On the tableRich, red-to-dark meat; superb raw (sashimi/poke) when bled and iced properly, and great seared. Better fresh than frozen.As baitSometimes - blackfin chunks/bellies are excellent bait for marlin, wahoo, and sharks.
The bar to beat
Texas state record
38.89 lb · 41.75″ — John Alvarez Jr.
Gulf of Mexico, TX, 1988
World record
50.06 lb — Robert "Bob" Kowalski
off Miami, FL, 2024
Records as compiled in the IronJetty guide (Aug 2026) — verify current marks with TPWD records / IGFA. World record 50 lb 1 oz (2024) replaced the prior 49 lb 6 oz mark.
