Select a state to find fishing and boating information:
Get A Fishing License
Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more.
Register A Boat
Register your boat today. Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more.
Home > Learn to Fish & Boat > Fish Species > Skipjack Tuna
In addition to being an esteemed light tackle species, the skipjack tuna has great commercial value.
The presence of stripes on the belly and the absence of markings on the back are sufficient to distinguish the skipjack tuna from all similar species. The lower flanks and belly are silvery with 4-6 prominent, dark, longitudinal stripes running from just behind the corselet back towards the tail, ending when they come into contact with the lateral line. Though some other species do have stripes on the belly, they have markings on the back as well, and these stripes located on the back remain prominent even after death.
The skipjack tuna is a cosmopolitan species that can be found in tropical and subtropical seas, usually in deep coastal and oceanic waters. It is common throughout the tropical Atlantic, south to Argentina and may range as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the summer months. Skipjack tuna are a schooling, pelagic, migratory, deep water species. In the western Atlantic, skipjack tuna frequently school with blackfin tuna and in the Pacific and Indian Oceans they often school with yellowfin tuna. The common name Arctic bonito, which is sometimes applied to the skipjack, is a misnomer. The fish does not range into Arctic waters and is not a bonito, but a tuna. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:
The skipjack tuna is a very social species and a very fast swimmer. It feeds near the surface, sometimes forming schools composed of 50,000 or more individuals. It will strike trolled strip baits, feathers, spoons, plugs, or small whole baits. Some are taken by casting, jigging or live bait fishing offshore. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:
The following are lures, tackle or bait that can be used to catch this fish:
National Catfish Day Is Coming - Get Ready for Good Eats!
Read More
Public Ramp Boat-Launching Tips for Beginners
Tips for Fishing Boat Rentals
Do you like this content? Subscribe to our Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing and boating adventure.
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
Sign-up to receive our monthly newsletter with interesting blogs about fishing and boating. Get fishing tips and tricks and read personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating. Learn new fishing skills, boating resources, fishing etiquette, conservation and more.
Please complete the following fields to subscribe to our newsletter.
SUBSCRIBERS PREFERENCES
What information would you like?