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How to catch Longfin yellowtail

Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes, 1833

About Longfin yellowtail fishing

The longfin yellowtail is a pelagic marine game fish belonging to the family Carangidae, featuring a deep yet flattened body with pronounced sickle-shaped dorsal and anal fins. Adults typically measure around ninety centimetres in length while reaching a maximum of one hundred and sixty centimetres and a weight approaching fifty-nine kilograms. Their upper bodies display a dusky brownish or silvery blue-green tone, complemented by faint amber or olive lateral stripes and a lighter, brassy belly. This species inhabits oceanic zones and outer reef slopes at depths ranging from five to two hundred and forty-five metres, often associating with floating debris, offshore banks, and deep-water shipwrecks. They form small groups and hunt voraciously, feeding primarily on smaller fishes, squid, and crustaceans. Spawning occurs repeatedly throughout the year in warm oceanic waters, and the species is known for its remarkable stamina in strong currents.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    90 cm TL

  • Market value

    Very high

  • Habitat

    Saltwater

  • Season

    Summer, Autumn

  • Also known as

    Almaco amberjack, Almaco jack, Amber, Amberjack, Crevalle, Deep-water amberjack

Longfin yellowtail

Diagonal stripe through eye

Dark yellowish-brown band from nape through eye to upper lip distinguishes this species.

Elongated dorsal fin

Tall, sickle-shaped anterior dorsal lobe characteristic of the longfin yellowtail.

Longfin yellowtail fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    90 cm TL (max 160 cm FL )

  • Typical weight

    4.5 kg (max 59.9 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    22.1–28.6 °C

  • Depth

    5–245 m

  • Body shape

    Short And / Or Deep

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    73.6

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Peak

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Peak

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Active

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Peak

  • Night

    After dark

    Active

When to fish for Longfin yellowtail

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch Longfin yellowtail

Tips for catching Longfin yellowtail

Targeting this powerful pelagic predator requires heavy-duty saltwater tackle capable of withstanding blistering initial runs and deep dives. Offshore anglers find success by working vertical jigs or slow-pitch metal presentations around deep-water wrecks, seamounts, and outer reef drop-offs where the fish congregate in small shoals. Trolling deep-diving plugs or rigged natural baits along current lines and shelf breaks during early morning and late afternoon hours also triggers aggressive strikes. When surface activity or marking fish on sonar is observed, casting heavy metal lures or large topwater stickbaits near structure yields explosive visual takes. Pay close attention to water temperature and structure depth, as these fish relate strongly to thermoclines and upwellings while hunting for baitfish and squid.

Other names for Longfin yellowtail

Local and alternate names anglers use for Longfin yellowtail.

  • Almaco jack
  • Amber
  • Amberjack
  • Longfin yellowtail
  • Longfin kingfish
  • Jack
  • Highfin amberjack
  • Yellow kingfish
  • Greater amberjack
  • European amberjack
  • Falcate amberjack
  • Crevalle
  • Deep-water amberjack
  • Rock salmon
  • Silvercoat jack
  • Almaco amberjack

Best equipment to catch Longfin yellowtail

Compare fishing methods for Longfin yellowtail — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 4.5 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Longfin yellowtail

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Longfin yellowtail migrates — Oceanodromous

Migrates within the sea between spawning, nursery and feeding grounds, and never enters fresh water. Follow its seasonal shifts along the coast and offshore.

How Longfin yellowtail migrates — Oceanodromous 1. Eggs: Laid on the spawning grounds. 2. Larvae: Drift with the currents to the nursery grounds. 3. Juveniles: Grow up in sheltered nursery waters. 4. Adults: Range widely over the feeding grounds. 5. Spawners: Return to the spawning grounds each season.
Spawning grounds Nursery grounds Feeding grounds

1 Eggs

Spawning grounds

Laid on the spawning grounds.

2 Larvae

→ Nursery grounds

Drift with the currents to the nursery grounds.

3 Juveniles

Nursery grounds

Grow up in sheltered nursery waters.

4 Adults

Feeding grounds

Range widely over the feeding grounds.

5 Spawners

→ Spawning grounds

Return to the spawning grounds each season.

It stays in the sea and never runs up into fresh water.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Longfin yellowtail

  • Diet

    Top predator

  • Feeds by

    Hunts animals

  • Hunts

    Dawn · Morning · Dusk

  • Feeds over

    Coral reefs

  • Social

    Solitary

  • Main prey

    Baitfish

Prey and predators of Longfin yellowtail

Prey is what Longfin yellowtail eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Predators

What hunts it

Fish

  • Carcharhinus albimarginatus juv./adults
  • Thunnus albacares juv./adults

Where Longfin yellowtail lives

Tied to reefs and rocky structure in shallow coastal water.

Habitats
Saltwater
Depth zone
Sublittoral, Bathyal
5–245 m
Usually 30–35 m
Water column
Benthic
Structure and substrate

Where this species lives