Skipjack Tuna
Skipjack tuna are warm-water visitors that push into New Zealand's northern waters each summer, following baitfish and blue water down from the Western and Central Pacific.
Fast, schooling, and great eating both raw and cooked, they draw boat anglers from the Hauraki Gulf to the Bay of Plenty every season. Light tackle makes them genuinely fun to chase, and a livewell full of skippies doubles as prime bait for bigger game.
Scientific Name: Katsuwonus pelamis
Also known as Skippy, Skippie
- Torpedo-shaped body with a dark bluish-purple back, silver-white belly, and four to six dark horizontal stripes running along the lower sides — the stripes are the quickest ID feature.
- Short pectoral fins distinguish skipjack from albacore; an albacore's pectoral fin reaches nearly halfway down the body, while a skipjack's is noticeably stubby.
- Dark red, medium-textured flesh — visible when filleting and a clue to their high-energy lifestyle.
- Most fish caught in NZ run 2–6 kg; the NZ sport-fishing all-tackle record sits just over 14 kg.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- A migratory pelagic species — not resident in New Zealand but a seasonal visitor from the Western and Central Pacific, reaching NZ at the southern limit of its range.
- Requires water temperatures of at least 18–19°C; fish generally appear in the northeast once offshore surface temps hit that threshold in summer.
- Most reliably found off the northern North Island — Great Barrier Island, the Hauraki Gulf, the Bay of Plenty, and as far south as Gisborne on the east coast.
- The commercial purse-seine fishery operates mainly off the northern west and east coasts of the North Island, with some effort extending to the South Island.
Key Locations
- Hauraki Gulf — schools push into inner Gulf waters when warm blue water arrives, sometimes close to landmarks like Rangitoto Island.
- Great Barrier Island — consistently one of the first places skipjack appear as warm water moves south.
- Bay of Plenty — a reliable summer destination with good access from ports like Whakatane and Tauranga.
- East Coast to Gisborne — schools extend this far south in strong warm-water years.
- Hawke's Bay and Mercury Bay — both appear regularly in NZ sport-fishing records, indicating consistent seasonal presence.
Specific Spots
- Look for bird activity and surface workups — skipjack herd baitfish from below while gannets and shearwaters work from above, and the two signs together almost always mean fish.
- Schools often push anchovies and pilchards into tight balls near the surface; troll the edges of these bait concentrations rather than driving straight through them.
- In the Hauraki Gulf, fish have been caught close to landmarks like Rangitoto — clear blue water inshore can hold them when conditions are right, so you don't always need to run far offshore.
- Blue, clean water is the key trigger — if the colour turns green or murky, move until you find the temperature break where blue water begins.
Skipjack Tuna FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Skipjack Tuna?
Small skirted tuna lures trolled at 5–7 knots are the standard approach, black and purple or green and yellow are proven colour combinations, but vary colours and distances behind the boat until you find what's working on the day.
When is the best time to fish for Skipjack Tuna?
Summer (December–March), the main window when warm water pushes skipjack into northern NZ; the commercial fishery peaks January to March. Fish arrive later and leave earlier in cooler years; water temperature is a more reliable indicator than the calendar, look for blue water hitting 18–19°C.
How do you catch Skipjack Tuna?
Trolling 2–4 small skirted lures or tuna jigs behind a boat at 5–7 knots is the primary method, covering ground until fish are located by bird activity, surface workups, or sounder marks. Once a school is found, casting soft plastics or metal jigs into the melee on spin gear is also effective.
What do Skipjack Tuna eat?
Skipjack feed heavily on anchovies and pilchards, small, schooling baitfish, which is why skirted lures and small jigs that flash and dart like a fleeing baitfish are the go-to presentation.
Where do Skipjack Tuna live?
A migratory pelagic species, not resident in New Zealand but a seasonal visitor from the Western and Central Pacific, reaching NZ at the southern limit of its range. Requires water temperatures of at least 18–19°C; fish generally appear in the northeast once offshore surface temps hit that threshold in summer.
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