The majority of tuna fishing in Atlantic Canada, including PEI, is catch and release. In the event that we do take a fish in, it is under a government regulated commercial tag registered to the Captain and is also part of our livelihood and income. The tuna are typically sold at auction or on consignment to brokers. Sorry folks, but we understand why you would ask and get this question a lot. If you are lucky enough to be on a charter where we take a fish, there is always lots of meat available in the head and tail sections of the fish which are cut off before shipping the tuna.
We have all the gear you’ll need, but you are most certainly welcome to bring your own. We have rods, reels, and even stand-up harnesses and a fighting chair for you to use. If you want to use your own gear, we advise you to call or email us before your visit so we can advise you on how to have it rigged properly for these giants.
From the moment that you step on board you need not worry about a thing. Our boats are equipped with all the comforts of home including, washroom facility, bunks, table/sitting area (inside and outside), music system, life jackets, lunch, snacks, and beverages. It is always good to have layers of clothing depending on the time and year and forecasted weather conditions, as well as a hat and sunglasses.
The closest airport is the Charlottetown Airport, which is about 1 hour drive away from North Lake harbour. The major air carriers are Air Canada, WestJet, and Delta. Another option is the Halifax International airport in Nova Scotia, about four hours away, but a much larger airport with more options on flight schedules, flight prices and major carriers. If you are driving, check out the Google Map on the Contact Us page for the major routes.
We really don’t have a limit. In our opinion, it’s never too early –contact us today!
We require a 10% deposit of the total charter cost. As long as you cancel 30 days prior to your scheduled charter, we will refund your deposit. We understand that for many of our customers, this kind of trip involves extensive planning and travelling, so we do our best to accommodate schedule changes, subject to availability.
In 2011, we started tuna fishing on July 14, and we hooked tuna on a regular basis on both of our boats up until October 3, when a major storm blew in and slowed us up for a few days. Based on the last few years, we have found the tuna are showing up in our waters earlier and staying later. They migrate here in June-July from the Gulf of Mexico to feed, and head back south in late October-early November. Anytime from the middle of July to the middle of October is great tuna fishing. The weather is the only problem in October, it can be more unpredictable than earlier in the season.
No. For the past several years we have had extremely high catch/hook-up rates, thanks in part to the over-abundance of tuna in our area. The one thing we do guarantee is that if/when the Bluefin tuna become more elusive, your best chance of catching a giant Bluefin tuna is on a charter with Tony's Tuna Fishing!
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