Yellowfin blitz fires the canyon edge as 72-degree water pushes north

The Hudson Canyon is finally showing its summer colors, and the yellowfin tuna have responded in a big way. Water temperatures climbed to 72 degrees along the canyon edge this week, a solid jump from the 68-degree readings we saw last Monday, and that thermal push has stacked bait and predators from the Claw all the way down to the Dip.

The best action has been chunking at the 100-fathom line, particularly the northern wall where the bottom drops from 400 to 800 feet in less than a quarter mile. Yellowfin to 80 pounds are crushing butterfish chunks and squid strips fished on 6/0 circle hooks with 80-pound fluorocarbon leaders. The key has been getting the chunk line established in that 72-degree water — any cooler and the fish won't commit, any warmer and they're too scattered to target effectively.

Captains running out of Manasquan and Belmar have been hitting the canyon at first light, setting up their drift on the northwest corner where the 40°22'N, 73°45'W coordinates put you right on the money. The new moon spring tides this week have been pushing massive amounts of bait up from the deep water, and the yellowfin are following it to the surface. Best bite has been the first two hours of daylight when the current is still ripping and the chunk slick hasn't dispersed.

Trolling has been productive too, especially for boats working the temperature breaks. The 70-72 degree water is holding scattered schools of yellowfin and the occasional bigeye, with cedar plugs and small feathers taking fish in the 40-60 pound class. Spread your lines wide — 150 to 200 feet back — and work the edges where clean blue water meets the slightly greener canyon water. Speed has been critical: 7.5 to 8 knots seems to be the magic number.

Mahi mahi have been a welcome bonus, with fish to 25 pounds showing up around floating debris and weed lines in that same 72-degree water. They're hitting ballyhoo on the troll and taking live squid when you stop to chunk for tuna. The Texas Tower area has been particularly good for mahi, especially when you find those convergence zones where different water masses meet.

White marlin are starting to show in better numbers too. The warmer water has brought them up from their deeper haunts, and they're taking small ballyhoo and squid on the troll. Most of the whites have been in the 60-70 pound class — solid fish that are putting up their trademark aerial displays.

The bluefin bite has been more sporadic, but when you connect, they're quality fish. Most of the blues are in the 60-80 inch class, and they're showing a preference for live bait over chunks. Mackerel and herring have been the top producers, fished on kite rigs or flat lines in the early morning hours.

Looking at the water conditions, that 72-degree temperature is the key to everything happening out there right now. It's warm enough to activate the yellowfin but not so warm that it pushes them into deeper water. The chlorophyll readings show good bait concentrations along the canyon walls, and the current flow has been consistent enough to keep the food chain active.

The forecast shows this warm water pattern holding through the weekend, which should keep the bite strong. Full moon is coming up next week, and those big tides typically scatter the bait and make the fishing tougher. My advice is to get out there while this new moon window is still open — the combination of 72-degree water, strong current, and concentrated bait won't last forever.

For the coming week, I'm watching for that water temperature to hold steady. If it climbs much above 74, the yellowfin will likely push deeper and become harder to target. If it drops back below 70, the bite will slow considerably. Right now, we're in that sweet spot where everything is lining up perfectly.