Two Black Book Charters vessels are heading north for the summer. The 62' Winter and the 60' Bayliss will be positioned across New England from July through October, running giant bluefin tuna trips and overnight canyon runs out of Branford, Montauk, and Newport.
Both boats fish the South Florida tournament circuit through the spring and relocate north for the summer season. The crews, the tackle, the programs that compete at the highest level in the sailfish and marlin fisheries are the same ones running your trip in the canyons.
The Fishery
The Northeast Canyons are a series of notches cut into the continental shelf, running from the waters off New Jersey to Nova Scotia at depths of 75 to 125 miles offshore. Blue water spinning off the Gulf Stream intersects with the shelf edge and creates the temperature breaks, current lines, and bait concentrations that make this one of the most productive pelagic ecosystems in the Atlantic.
The canyon names carry weight with anyone who has fished them: Hudson, Block, Veatch, Hydrographer, Atlantis. Each one offers a different combination of structure, depth, and current, and the crews who fish them year after year learn which canyons produce in which conditions. The fishery runs from late June through October, with the peak bite for giant bluefin typically falling between August and October as the fish push through on their migration.
What makes the Northeast canyons unique is the range of species available on a single trip. A day that starts with a tuna troll along the edge can shift to deep-dropping for swordfish over a canyon wall or pulling dredges through a temperature break stacked with yellowfin and bigeye. On the right day, a white marlin or blue marlin will crash the spread. The diversity of this fishery is what keeps serious anglers coming back every summer.
.jpg)
Giant Bluefin Tuna
Giant bluefin tuna are the signature target of the Northeast summer season. Fish in the 500 to 1,000-pound class move through the region annually, feeding along the shelf edge and in the nearshore rips before continuing their migration north. The commercial and recreational bluefin fishery in the Northeast is one of the most regulated in the world, and the opportunity to target fish of this size on rod and reel is something that draws anglers from across the country.
The approach varies by conditions and location. Some days are spent chunking on a drift over structure. Other days call for trolling spreader bars and daisy chains along temperature breaks. When the giants are feeding on the surface in the fall, the crew may run and gun with topwater presentations. The 62' Winter and 60' Bayliss are both set up to run every technique the bite requires.
Bluefin trips typically run as full-day charters out of Branford, Montauk, or Newport depending on where the fish are concentrated. The captains communicate across the fleet and adjust positioning throughout the season to stay on the fish.
Canyon Trips
Overnight canyon trips are the other pillar of the Northeast summer schedule. A typical run covers 80 to 120 miles offshore, putting you on the deep water over canyon structure where the species mix opens up. Yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, swordfish, mahi, wahoo, and the occasional white marlin or blue marlin are all in play depending on the time of year and the water conditions.
The boats leave in the early morning, troll to the canyon through the day, fish through the evening and night, and return the following morning. Both the 62' Winter and the 60' Bayliss are built for this kind of trip. Enclosed cabins, air conditioning, comfortable bunks, and Seakeeper stabilization make the difference between an endurance test and an experience. A boat that rides well at 20 knots on the run out and sits comfortably through a night drift in 3 to 5-foot canyon seas is worth more than one that simply gets there fast.
The canyon season runs from July through October. Early summer trips tend to produce yellowfin and mahi. As the season progresses into August and September, bigeye tuna and swordfish become more consistent. The fall window brings everything together, with the chance for a mixed bag that covers four or five species in a single trip.
The Boats
62' Winter
A cold-molded Carolina boat with Seakeeper stabilization, advanced sonar, and the ride quality that Carolina hulls are known for. The 62' Winter runs the South Florida sailfish tournament circuit through the spring, repositions through Morehead City for Big Rock week in June, and continues north to New England for the summer. Tournament-rigged, privately owned, captain-maintained.
60' Bayliss
The only Bayliss available for charter in the world. A one-of-one custom walkaround built by John Bayliss himself, with Seakeeper, Starlink, teak deck, and A/C mezzanine seating. The 60' Bayliss fishes Jupiter through the winter and spring and moves to the Northeast from June through September. Optimized for kite fishing, dredge fishing, and bottom fishing.
Availability
Both vessels are available for charter from July through October out of Branford, Montauk, and Newport. Giant bluefin trips, overnight canyon runs, and custom multi-day programs are all available.
Summer dates fill early. If you are planning a trip around a specific fishery window or targeting giant bluefin during the peak fall bite, now is the time to secure your dates.
.jpg)
.jpg)
