Saltwater · Northern
Tuna - Pacific Bluefin
Ocean regulations can change in-season. Confirm with the 2026 Ocean Sport Fishing Guide and CDFW before you fish.
Species group
TUNA
Season
Open year around
Depth limit
No depth limit
Daily bag limit
The special limit for bluefin tuna is 2, which may be taken or possessed in addition to the overall general daily bag limit of 20 finfish
Minimum size
No size limit
Gear restrictions
May be taken only on hook-and-line or by hand. Any number of hooks and lines may be used
Identification
The body of the bluefin tuna is cigar-shaped and robust. The head is conical and the mouth rather large. The color is dark blue above and gray below. Bluefin tuna can easily be distinguished from other members of the tuna family by the relatively short length of their pectoral fins. Their livers have a unique and definitive characteristic in that they are covered with blood vessels (striated). In other tunas with short pectoral fins, such vessels are either not present or present in small numbers along the edges.