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Skipjack Tuna
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Katsuwonus pelamis |
| Common Names: | skipjack, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, victor fish, arctic bonito |
| Environment: | Offshore |
| Ideal Temp: | 66-84°F (19-29°C) |
About Skipjack Tuna
The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish. It grows up to 1 m (3 ft) in length. It is a cosmopolitan pelagic fish found in tropical and warm-temperate waters. It is a very important species for fisheries.
It is a streamlined, fast-swimming pelagic fish, common in tropical waters throughout the world, where it inhabits surface waters in large shoals (up to 50,000 fish), feeding on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and molluscs. It is an important prey species for large pelagic fishes and sharks. It has no scales, except on the lateral line and the corselet (a band of large, thick scales forming a circle around the body behind the head). It commonly reaches fork lengths up to 80 cm (31 in) and a weight of 8–10 kg (18–22 lb). Its maximum fork length is 108 cm (43 in) and maximum weight is 34.5 kg (76 lb). Ageing skipjack tuna is difficult, and the estimates of its potential lifespan range between 8 and 12 years.
Skipjack Tuna Fishing
| World Record: | 20.54 kg (45 lb 4 oz) Flathead Bank, Baja California, Mexico |
| # Fish Caught: | 210077 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 7/2/1758 12:00:00 PM and located at 3.25000, 73.00000. |
| Latest Record: | 2/24/2025 10:01:09 AM and located at 20.68071, -105.21586. |
| Common Techniques: | Casting, Chunking, Fly, Jigging, Trolling |
| Popular Lure Types: | Flies, Jigs, Plugs, Spoons, Topwater, Trolling |
| Fishing Spots: | 4349 Skipjack Tuna fishing spots. |
Latest Skipjack Tuna Fishing Reports and Spots
96 Recfishwest's Statewide Fishing Report - 23 January 2026 All the best tips and photos on what's biting across WA including forecasts gear us (
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GORDO BANKS PANGASJanuary 25th 2026 The week started off good with decent action at the Inner and Outer Gordo. We saw more tuna action in the 40 (
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96 Recfishwest's Statewide Fishing Report - 16 January 2026 All the best tips and photos on what's biting across WA including forecasts gear us (
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96 Recfishwest's Statewide Fishing Report - 28 November 2025 All the best tips and photos on what's biting across WA including forecasts gear u (
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Anglers and friends, Captain Pete here, reporting straight from the docks of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! If October was the transition, November (
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Anglers and friends, Captain Pete here, reporting straight from the docks of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! If October was the transition, November (
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The end of the rainy season is upon us, and the fishing in Puerto Vallarta is absolutely on fire! September has been delivering some incredibl (
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96 Recfishwest's State-wide Fishing Report - 29 August 2025 All the best tips and photos on what's biting across WA including forecasts gear us (
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As summer reaches its peak and school is close to starting, Puerto Vallarta transforms into one of Mexico’s premier sportfishing destina (
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July in Puerto Vallarta marks the explosive heart of offshore fishing season! The warm Pacific waters are teeming with giants, making this pri (
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