The Skipjack Tuna is a coastal pelagic schooling species that is found near offshore reefs. Often confused with bonito, skipjack tuna are dark blue or purple on the back and silvery on their lower sides and belly. They have three to five prominent, dark longitudinal bands on their lower sides. These tuna have fine, slender teeth, a strong median keel on the caudal fin base between two small keels, and barely separated first and second dorsal fins. Skipjack tuna are a lot of fun to catch, although, many anglers only fish for skipjack tuna to use them for bait when fishing for much larger fish such as bigger tuna and billfish. Trolling is the most common method for catching skipjack tuna.
