Bluefin Tuna Fishing Berkeley: The Long Run Offshore

Bluefin tuna fishing in Berkeley means the long run. We leave the Berkeley Marina and run offshore looking for bluefin. On our trip list we call it the big one, and that is how people treat it. This trip suits anglers who have bluefin on their mind and are willing to wait for the right day to go. It is not the trip for someone who wants a quick, easy outing close to the dock. For that, our salmon, lingcod, rockfish and halibut trips are a better fit. But if you have been thinking about a bluefin for a while, this is the trip built for it. It is one of the trips our two boats run, and it is the one people plan around.

Tuna does not run on a fixed calendar. The long run only goes when the ocean lets us. We open tuna dates the moment the forecast says yes. That means I cannot list set months for bluefin here, and I will not guess at them. The best way to hear about new dates first is to follow us on Facebook. That is where tuna days go up when the weather lines up. If you want to talk about timing for a certain stretch of the year, the captain confirms it by phone. Our other seasons are fixed. Salmon runs July, September and October. Crab is November and December. Sturgeon is January to April. Bluefin works around the weather instead.

A seat on the bluefin tuna trip is $550 per angler, with up to 6 guests on the boat. If you want the boat to yourselves, the whole boat bluefin rate is $3,300 for up to 6 anglers. All gear and tackle are included, so you do not need to own a rod or bring a tackle box. Fish cleaning is included too. Your fish comes back cleaned at no extra charge. If you are putting a group together, the whole boat price keeps it simple. One price, your people, nobody you did not invite. If you are coming alone or with one friend, booking a seat works fine.

Reel Addiction Sportfishing is a small, captain-run charter out of the San Francisco Bay Area. We have two 30-foot six-pack boats and two licensed captains. Each boat takes six anglers, so that is twelve anglers a day between the two boats. The captains are USCG licensed master captains. Capt. Ben Mechling runs the operation out of the Berkeley Marina. Besides bluefin, the boats fish for salmon, halibut, lingcod, rockfish, sturgeon, sharks and Dungeness crab. We hold a 5.0 rating across 170+ Google reviews. With only six people aboard, you get room to fish and a captain who knows everyone on the boat by name.

We depart from 201 University Avenue, Berkeley, at the Berkeley Marina. That is our home port for every trip, bluefin included. The areas we fish around include Berkeley, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, Oakland and Emeryville, and the tuna trip heads offshore from there. I am not going to post a departure time on this page, because tuna days depend on the forecast and the plan can shift. When your date is set, the captain confirms the meeting time with you directly. Show up at the marina at the time you are given, ready to go, and we will get you aboard.

You do not need to bring fishing gear. All gear and tackle are provided on the bluefin trip, and the fish cleaning is included. That covers the rods, the reels and everything that goes on the end of the line. For anything beyond that, such as what clothes to wear, food and drinks, or something to carry your fish home in, ask the captain when you book. I would rather tell you the right answer for your day than guess here. The short version is that the fishing side is handled. You bring yourself and whatever the captain tells you to bring.

Do I need a fishing license? This page does not cover licensing, and I do not want to give you the wrong answer. Ask the captain when you book and he will tell you exactly what you need before your trip. It is a quick question to sort out ahead of time, so you are not dealing with it on the morning you go.

What happens if the weather is bad? The tuna trip only goes on weather-approved days. We open tuna dates when the forecast says yes, and the long run only goes when the ocean lets us. For questions about what happens to a booked date if conditions change, such as rescheduling, ask the captain directly before you book.

Can I bring my own group? Yes. The whole boat bluefin trip is $3,300 for up to 6 anglers. You get the boat to yourselves with one price for the group. It works well for friends, family or coworkers who want to fish together. If you have fewer than six, ask the captain how that works for your date.

To book bluefin tuna fishing in Berkeley, go to reeladdictionsportfishingllc.com and use the Book a Trip button. You can book a single seat at $550 or take the whole boat at $3,300. Because tuna dates open when the forecast says yes, follow Reel Addiction Sportfishing on Facebook so you hear about new dates first. If you have questions before you book, use the Contact page on the site. The captain confirms dates and details by phone, so you will know where you stand before the day comes.