Bluefin Tuna Fishing Charters near Boston & Cape Cod Massachusetts – Scituate, MA
Bluefin Tuna Fishing Charters Info:
Required Trip Length:
Time of year:
Bluefin tuna filter into the Massachusetts fishing area in June and stay for the remainder of the year. Typically the best time of year to fish for these insane fish is mid June-October.
Daily Bag Limit:
Tunas under 73 inches can be kept for food up to the daily bag limit which are set in place before the season begins. Please call to learn about what you can keep! If it is a designated commercial day* and we obtain our boat limit of fish over 73 inches we sell the fish back at the dock.
If we sell a commercial bluefin tuna, the charter will receive 20% of the sell price of the fish*. Typically we receive payment from the buyer within 3-4 weeks after landing. We do not receive a price at the dock as televised. Please call to learn more about the daily bag limits for tuna since it is updated monthly.
Catch and Release Fishing:
We do a lot of catch and release tuna fishing as well. If the quota is filled, we still go tuna fishing. If we get one up to the boat that has to be let go, we try our best to get you an amazing picture of the fish next to the boat. Tuna fishing is not all about the harvest of the fish, its about the adventure and the battle that they give you. These fish are typically between 80-1200lbs. The fight time is typically 20 minutes to 2 hrs with some battles lasting as long as 6hrs!
Bluefin Tuna Quota:
The government has a quota that is tracked year round. The quota is a monthly quota based off of the tunas weight once harvested. Once the quota is reached for the month, the government closes the fishery down from harvesting. Once it is closed down we go out purely for targeting smaller tuna or catch and releasing giant tuna. We have customers that come from all over the world to catch and release bluefin tuna. There are only a handful of places in the world you can catch them so close to land.
Size class of the fish:
Massachusetts Tuna Charters: There are times when there seems to be mostly giant bluefin tuna around (over 73″) or mostly school bluefin tuna around (under 73″). We fish the same way for both size class fish. There may be an instance when we give you a call and ask you what you prefer to target, but generally we already have an idea of what we are doing for the day.
What to expect on a Bluefin Tuna Charter trip with Mass Bay Guides?
10 hr tuna trip we will be leaving the dock early in the morning, typically in the dark, and returning around 3pm* (see daily bag limit below). We travel an average of 20 miles offshore (or wherever the best bite is) and either fish live bait or troll. If there are feeds going on we may even cast some.
These fish are typically between 80-1200lbs and fight like nothing else! When the fish are averaging over 200lbs we typically fish with 130lb reels out of the gunwale and everyone on board gets a turn since the average fight time averages 1 hr. This is an adventure of a life time. We see whales daily, we catch a variety of bait fish, battle through sharks occasionally, and fight sea monsters! This is our most popular charter! Book!
* If it is a designated commercial day and we obtain our boat limit of fish over 73 inches for the day we are not allowed to keep fishing. We go back to the dock and celebrate our jumbo on deck!
Mass Bay Guides Tuna Fishing Videos
Mass Bay Guides Tuna Fishing Gallery
Why Scituate is One of the Best Bluefin Tuna Ports in New England
When people think of bluefin tuna fishing near Boston or Cape Cod, they often default to Gloucester on the North Shore. What most anglers don’t realize is that Scituate Harbor sits directly south of Boston and north of Cape Cod and provides some of the shortest runs to prime tuna grounds on the entire East Coast. We are minutes from the mouth of Massachusetts Bay, giving us fast access to Stellwagen Bank, Wildcat Knoll, Cape Cod Bay., and the deep and shallow offshore fishing areas where giant bluefin tuna spend their summers.
The geometry of our location matters. Bluefin tuna follow bait — and the baitfish highways that run through the center of Massachusetts Bay pass right through our backyard. When the mackerel, herring, pogies, and sandeels stack up on the bank edges, the tuna are right behind them. Our captains have been running these same grounds since 1999 and know exactly where the fish will be at every stage of the season.
The Bluefin Tuna Migration — What to Expect and When
Atlantic bluefin tuna begin filtering into Massachusetts waters in early to Mid-June as the Gulf Stream pushes warmer water northward and the bait schools concentrate on Stellwagen Bank. The bite typically reaches full stride in July– October, when both school tuna (under 73 inches) and giant bluefin (over 73 inches) are actively feeding on the surface and mid-water column. September and October can produce some of the most explosive fishing of the year as the fish feed aggressively before their southward migration.
School tuna typically range from 50–200 lbs and are known for their blistering runs and delicious meals. Giant bluefin — the fish you see on Wicked Tuna — commonly run 250–900 lbs on our grounds, with true giants pushing past 1,000 lbs on exceptional days. Both size classes offer a completely different fight and a completely different experience, and both are available to our anglers throughout the season.
Our Bluefin Tuna Fishing Techniques
We adapt our approach daily based on conditions, bait availability, and where the fish are feeding. On a typical tuna charter out of Scituate you can expect one or more of the following:
- Live bait fishing: We stop on the way out to load the livewell with fresh mackerel, pogies (menhaden), herring or whiting — the single most effective technique for giant bluefin in Massachusetts Bay.
- Trolling: When the fish are scattered or moving, we deploy a spread of trolling lures and rigged baits to cover water and locate the bite.
- Casting: When bluefin are up on surface feeds and they are the proper size (under 150lbs) we have some casting setups. We do most commonly live bait fish or troll though.
Commercial Bluefin Days — Get Paid to Fish
One of the unique aspects of fishing with Mass Bay Guides is the opportunity to participate in commercial bluefin tuna sales. On designated commercial days, if we land a giant bluefin tuna 73 inches or bigger, the fish is sold dockside to a licensed buyer — and your group receives 20% of the sale price. Bluefin tuna are one of the most valuable fish in the world, commonly fetching 3-12 dollars per pound.
Catch and Release — The Giant Tuna Experience Without Harvest
Not every tuna trip ends with a fish in the box, and that is perfectly fine with us. We run a tremendous number of catch and release tuna charters throughout the season. When quotas are filled or on days when the fish simply need to go back, we fight them to the boat, get incredible photos and video alongside, and release them healthy. Many of our most loyal customers come back year after year specifically for the catch and release experience — the battle with a 600 lb bluefin is the point, not the harvest. There are only a handful of places on the planet where you can do this within 20 miles of a major city.
Plan Your Bluefin Tuna Charter Near Boston & Cape Cod
Whether you are traveling from Boston, the South Shore, Cape Cod, or from out of state, Scituate Harbor is easy to reach and offers free parking right at the dock. We run bluefin tuna charters from June through October, with 10+ hour trips departing before sunrise. Spots fill up fast! If you have a specific date in mind, book early on our pricing and booking page.