Yellowfin tuna bite builds south, may reach South Jersey by Memorial Day

Yellowfin are already showing south of New Jersey, and that is the clearest sign yet that the canyon run is starting to line up for South Jersey boats. The latest East End forecast from The Fisherman tied together offshore prospects, Canyon Runner updates, and the first real tuna clues of the season, with Adam at Canyon Runner Sportfishing reporting that action was beginning to come alive to the south.

The key signal is not a single catch, but the pattern. Quality yellowfin were already showing in the Ocean City, Maryland fleet, and a blue marlin had also been released. That matters because canyon crews do not need a full-blown blitz to know when to load up. They watch for clean water, bait, current breaks, and temperature edges, and once those pieces start showing south of New Jersey, the bite can move fast. The forecast carried cautious optimism that fishable water could slide into range for South Jersey by Memorial Day weekend.

Ocean City has already supplied the kind of early-season proof anglers look for. Fish in OC reported on May 16 that the first yellowfin tuna of the season came from the private boat TomCat with Captain Tommy Perry at the helm. On that trip, Paul Hignutt, Leelyn Hignutt, and Mike Fair boxed three yellowfin tuna and mahi over 20 pounds. Fish in OC also reported the first blue marlin of the season on May 14, and said Split Bill with Captain Casey Anderson found 73-degree water in the Washington Canyon area while putting fish in the box. That temperature note is the biggest clue in the whole story, because warm water in that canyon zone usually means the offshore menu is changing fast.

The regulations are already in place for anglers ready to make the run. NOAA Fisheries says Atlantic recreational yellowfin tuna are open with a 27-inch curved-fork-length minimum and a limit of three fish per person per day or trip. A valid HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permit is required to fish recreationally for Atlantic yellowfin tuna, and NOAA says permits and renewals must be submitted online.

There is also some history behind the timing. A Fish in OC report from May 2020 described the Wrecker with Captain Jeremy Blunt putting 12 yellowfin in the box in late May, a reminder that this Memorial Day window can absolutely produce when the water lays down and the edge sets up right.

For the next few trips, the read is straightforward: keep an eye on the Washington Canyon area, track the 73-degree water line, and watch whether Ocean City’s early yellowfin push starts ticking north. If that happens, South Jersey may not be far behind.