Chase Bluefin and Blackfin Tuna Off Cape Hatteras
There is a moment in tuna fishing that every angler remembers.
The spread is quiet.
Then a rod loads up.
The reel starts screaming.
And suddenly everyone on the boat knows it’s time to go to work.
Captain Andy Piland targets Bluefin and Blackfin Tuna
off Hatteras, North Carolina, and tuna fishing remains one of the most demanding and rewarding parts of his season.
Spending hundreds of days offshore allows Captain Andy to continually monitor conditions that influence the Hatteras fishery.
Tuna are fast, powerful and unpredictable. Finding them is only part of the challenge. Staying with the fish and adapting when conditions change can make for successful fishing.
Tuna Charter Highlights
● Departure: Oden’s Dock Marina
● Boat: 45′ Custom Carolina Sportfisher
● Captain: Andy Piland
● Primary Targets: Bluefin and Blackfin Tuna
● Fishing: Full-day offshore trips
● Technology: Omni Directional Sonar and modern electronics
● Experience: Beginners through experienced tuna anglers
Tuna Fishing Starts With Finding the Fish
Successful tuna fishing requires paying attention to what is happening throughout the water column and around the boat.
Throughout the day, Captain Andy and his crew
monitor:
● Water temperature
● Current breaks
● Bait concentrations
● Bird activity
● Recent fishing reports
● Fish movement
● Offshore conditions
The Good Times is equipped with up to date modern electronics including Omni Directional Sonar. This enables Captain Andy to track fish and the bait schools they are after. This technology provides the information needed to keep on the fish for the best catch opportunity.
The strategy and location can change several times throughout a single day.
Bluefin Tuna
The Fish That Can Change the Entire Day
Bluefin are the tuna many anglers dream about.
Bluefin Tuna, the largest in the tuna family, are highly prized table fare for sushi and traditional preparation.
North Carolina’s Bluefin season begins in January, and the Good Times targets Bluefin while they are present and conditions allow.
The focus is on giving anglers the best opportunity to find them and stay with them.
Each season typical Bluefin fishing days involve encountering multiple fish up to and exceeding 1000 lbs, with 300-500 lb fish being very common. The Good Times has an extremely high success rate, with double digit Bluefin catches being the norm.
Captain Andy and the Good Times crew is skilled at finding and landing Bluefin meeting the recreational requirement of <73” for charters to take home and enjoy.
Bluefin Tuna are powerful, fast, and capable of making blistering runs that test the angler, tackle, and crew.
And once one takes the bait, the search is over.
The fight begins and the fun starts.
Blackfin Tuna
Blackfin may not reach the size of Bluefin, but they provide plenty of excitement and the reward of taking home some excellent tablefare for sushi or traditional preparation.
They are aggressive feeders and powerful fighters for their size.
When schools are active, Blackfin can create fast-paced fishing that keeps anglers involved.
They provide opportunities throughout much of the year depending on the
conditions and seasonal fish movement.
Omni Directional Sonar: Another Tool in the Search
Finding a school of tuna offshore is one challenge.
Staying with them is another.
The Good Times is equipped with Omni Directional Sonar, giving Captain Andy another way to locate a school of tuna and follow its movement to keep anglers in the strike zone.
The sonar does not replace experience and you can’t rely on electronics alone. Its value comes from Captain Andy combining what the sonar it shows with decades of experience fishing these waters and evaluating the conditions developing in real time to make decisions throughout the day.
What Happens When the Fish Bite?
Tuna fishing can go from quiet to chaos in seconds.
Once a tuna takes the bait, the crew helps the angler manage the fight and works to keep everything organized in the cockpit.
The angler has to work.
The crew has to work.
And the equipment has to perform.
That’s part of the appeal.
A tuna isn’t simply another fish to check off a list. It can be a genuine team effort from
the first run to the moment the fish reaches the boat.
Built for the Tuna Hunt
The 45′ Custom Carolina sportfisher gives the crew and anglers the space needed for a full day of offshore tuna fishing.
The boat includes:
● Spacious fishing cockpit
● Iced bait and catch storage
● Premium rods and reels
● Quality tackle and bait
● Modern navigation equipment
● Advanced fish-finding technology including Omni Directional Sonar
● Air-conditioned and heated salon
● Comfortable seating
● Clean restroom
● Up to date USGC approved safety and emergency equipment
The boat provides the working space needed when the action gets busy and the
comfort needed during the quieter periods.
An individual North Carolina fishing license is not required to fish aboard the Good Times. Our license has you covered.
A Tuna Trip for Serious Anglers and First-Timers
You don’t have to be an experienced angler to enjoy tuna fishing.
The crew teaches first-time tuna fishermen how to work with the equipment and assists throughout the fight.
Experienced anglers can dive deeper into the techniques and decision-making involved in finding and targeting tuna.
Everyone is encouraged to participate to their comfort level.
Either way, the goal is the same:
Give you the best opportunity possible while making sure you enjoy the day.
Captain Andy will promise preparation, effort, honest expectations
and a crew that wants to see every angler succeed.
Ready to Chase Tuna?
If Bluefin Tuna are on your fishing bucket list or Blackfin is the desired
summer table fare, Hatteras is an incredible place to pursue them.
Contact Captain Andy to book your tuna fishing charter with Good Times
Sportfishing and get ready for the moment that reel starts screaming.
