Yellowfin blitz fires at the Wilmington as Gulf Stream eddy locks in 72-degree water

The Wilmington Canyon is fishing like a different ocean this week. A warm-core eddy has spun off the Gulf Stream and parked itself right over our favorite 100-fathom corner, creating the kind of temperature break that makes yellowfin tuna lose their minds. We're seeing a solid 8-degree gradient from the 64-degree inshore water to 72-degree blue water at the shelf edge, and that thermal wall is stacking bait like a dinner bell.

Yellowfin are the story right now. We're marking fish from 40 to 80 pounds consistently, with a few pushing the century mark. The bite has been most reliable on the northwest corner where the canyon wall drops from 60 to 200 fathoms. That's where the eddy circulation is tightest and the bait gets compressed against the structure. I've been running a spread of cedar plugs and ballyhoo on the troll — pink and white Bombers in the short riggers, natural ballyhoo on circle hooks in the long outriggers. The key is staying in that 68 to 72-degree water and watching for the temperature jumps on the fish finder.

When we mark a good show of bait, we've been stopping to chunk. Fresh butterfish and squid are getting crushed, but the real magic happens with live peanut bunker when you can find them. Fish them on 8/0 circles with just enough weight to get down 20 feet in the current. The yellowfin are feeding aggressively in the top 40 feet of water, especially during the morning and evening hours when the bait pushes up.

Mahi mahi are mixed in with the tuna action, mostly smaller fish in the 10 to 20-pound range, but they're eager and make for good action on lighter tackle. They're hitting the same cedar plugs that are working for yellowfin, plus any floating debris or weed lines you can find in that warm water. I've been keeping a few spinning rods rigged with bucktail jigs for when we find them busting bait on top.

The wahoo bite has been more scattered but worth mentioning. We've picked up a few nice fish to 40 pounds trolling the deeper edges where the canyon drops to 300 fathoms. High-speed trolling with Ilander lures and ballyhoo combos has been the ticket — purple and black, pink and white. You need to cover water to find them, but when you hook up, it's game on.

White marlin are starting to show in better numbers as we get deeper into summer. We've raised a handful this week, mostly on the troll in that same 100-fathom zone where the yellowfin are concentrated. The standard spread of small ballyhoo and sea witches is working, but you need to stay alert for the subtle bites. These fish are notorious for short-striking, so keep those hooks sharp and your drag settings honest.

The current has been running moderate to strong on the flood tide, which is actually helping the fishing. It's keeping the bait tight to the structure and giving our presentations good action. The new moon spring tides this week are creating some serious water movement, but that's exactly what we want to see. It's stirring up the food chain and keeping the predators active.

Looking at the water temperature readings, that warm eddy is holding steady. The 44069 buoy is showing 72.3 degrees, which is exactly what we're seeing on the surface at the canyon. The gradient is sharp and well-defined — you can literally see the color change when you cross from green inshore water to that deep blue Gulf Stream influence. That's your target zone.

Weather has been cooperative with light winds and manageable seas. The forecast shows more of the same through the weekend, which should keep this bite going strong. When conditions are this stable, the fish settle into predictable patterns, and that's exactly what we're seeing.

For the week ahead, I'm expecting this yellowfin action to continue as long as that eddy stays parked over the canyon. The full moon is coming up next week, which typically fires up the night bite for bluefin tuna. I'll be watching for those bigger fish to move in as the lunar phase changes. The temperature structure looks stable, so plan your trips accordingly and bring plenty of ice.