Yellowfin blitz fires Spencer Canyon as 72-degree water holds bait tight

The Southern Canyons are absolutely on fire right now, and Spencer Canyon is leading the charge with some of the best yellowfin action I've seen in years. We're talking 40 to 80-pound fish coming over the rail on every trip, with the sweet spot sitting right at 38°52'N, 73°26'W where that beautiful 72-degree water is stacked against the canyon wall.

The key has been finding that thermocline break at 75 to 85 feet. The yellowfin are sitting right on top of it, feeding heavy on the massive schools of squid and small tunas that have been pushed up from the deep water. We've been crushing them on cedar plugs and spreader bars, but the real magic happens when you drop a live bunker or mackerel down to that break. Rig it on a 7/0 circle hook with 80-pound fluorocarbon, and let it swim free in the current. When these fish hit, they hit hard.

What's really got me excited is the wahoo action on the edges. Norfolk Canyon has been producing some beautiful 30 to 50-pound fish, especially around the 100-fathom curve at 37°05'N, 74°15'W. The water temperature gradient is perfect right now – 68 degrees on the inside, jumping to 74 on the blue water side. That's where the wahoo are setting up, and they're absolutely demolishing high-speed trolled ballyhoo and Ilander combinations. Pink and white has been the hot color, pulled at 12 to 15 knots.

Poor Man's Canyon is delivering the mahi action, and these aren't the usual schoolies. We're seeing bull dolphins in the 20 to 30-pound class working the weed lines that have set up along the 30-fathom contour. The secret has been working the current edges where the Gulf Stream water meets the cooler inshore flow. Chunk baits work, but nothing beats a live pilchard under a balloon, drifted back into those weed mats. The fish are so aggressive right now they're coming up and crushing topwater plugs in broad daylight.

The bluefin situation at Lindenkohl has been interesting. We're not seeing the massive schools like we did in May, but the fish that are there are quality – 60 to 120-pound fish that are feeding deep during the day and coming up at first light and last light. The chunk bite has been solid on fresh butterfish and mackerel, especially on the northwest corner where the bottom drops from 60 to 200 feet in a hurry. Set up at 39°32'N, 73°57'W and let the current do the work.

What's really driving all this action is the water temperature setup we've got right now. That 72-degree water is holding right where it should be for mid-June, creating perfect conditions for bait to stack up and predators to feed. The moon phase is working in our favor too – we're coming off a new moon, so the tides are starting to build, which means more current and more active fish.

The white marlin bite has been spotty but when you find them, they're cooperative. We've had our best luck at Spencer and Norfolk, working the 100 to 200-fathom range with ballyhoo on circle hooks. The fish are there, but you've got to cover water to find them. Once you do, they'll usually travel in small groups, so stick with the area.

Looking ahead to this weekend, I'm watching the weather closely. We've got a front moving through that should clean up the water and potentially push more bait offshore. The full moon is still a week away, but the building tides should start firing up the bite even more. I'm planning to hit Spencer hard on Friday and Saturday morning, then work my way south to Norfolk if the yellowfin bite stays hot.

The key right now is being flexible and covering water until you find the temperature breaks and the bait. Once you do, the fish are there and they're feeding. This is prime time canyon fishing, and it's only going to get better as we head deeper into summer.