# Tuna in the Surf!!



## junkmansj (Jul 23, 2005)

This also happened inCape May County NJ 2 weeks ago!

http://www.acfishing.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=10335&st=0


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## Al Kai (Jan 8, 2007)

What a rush! Dude grabbed a 100lb Tuna with his hands in the surf.
Plus he has pictures. Thats perfect.


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## sudshunter (Jan 20, 2008)

great story,and pic!!! tight lines...


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## inshoreangler95 (Jun 15, 2008)

It just doesnt get any better huh? Thats one of those kodak moments right there!


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

That is wild. 

I still want to see the pics of the bluefin cast netted at LIP a few years back.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Yep what are the odds.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Well, she's definitely a tuna, but I'd say there had to be something wrong with that fish to just beach itself like that. That's extremely rare.

Basstardo, as far as the bluefin cast netted a few years back, i'd almost bet my bottom dollar it was a fat albert that was mistaken for a small bluefin. I hate to be a skeptic, but I've noticed a lot of people get confused when they catch a fat albert close to shore. In my fathers fishing days (late 70's and early 80's), they caught a lot of bluefin 20 miles out of Rudee Inlet, but that fishery isn't really there anymore. If it was a bluefin that was caught in a cast net around the LIP, it was definitely a "once in a lifetime" type thing.


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## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

drawinout said:


> Well, she's definitely a tuna, but I'd say there had to be something wrong with that fish to just beach itself like that. That's extremely rare.
> 
> Basstardo, as far as the bluefin cast netted a few years back, i'd almost bet my bottom dollar it was a fat albert that was mistaken for a small bluefin. I hate to be a skeptic, but I've noticed a lot of people get confused when they catch a fat albert close to shore. In my fathers fishing days (late 70's and early 80's), they caught a lot of bluefin 20 miles out of Rudee Inlet, but that fishery isn't really there anymore. If it was a bluefin that was caught in a cast net around the LIP, it was definitely a "once in a lifetime" type thing.


Ive seen the photos def a bluefin and not that small either.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

That's why the offshore tuna bite hasn't been the best this year, all the tuna are hanging around Sandbridge Pier!!!!!!! Forget King and Cobia fishing, I'll be casting spreader bars, islanders, and chugger heads on the LIP from now on!!! lol

Nah, I'm not doubting that one was netted out there. If it was though, it's definitely rare at best. I still say a healthy bluefin wouldn't make it up that far unless there was something wrong with it. I'd love to see the pics though.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

That famous image of a tuna at Sandbridge Pier (LIP) in Virginia Beach was not a false albacore. It was a bluefin, and it was huge. Lou, you out there?


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Angel castneted the LIP fish.


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## George Gravier (Oct 28, 1999)

Digger and Sandflea are correct, that was a bluefin tuna not a sea story....geo


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

As I said, I'm not doubting it, but it's definitely a freak occurance. I bet the hair on his head stood straight up! Hopefully somebody can get those pictures up.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

From what I understand from people that were there the tuna was chasing bait and came in too close.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

I don't know Dogg. I don't know a thing about the tuna off of Cape May New Jersey. I can tell you this; the Bluefin that was netted near the LIP was one lost fish!!! If a fish is chasing bait, she can't swim a straight line all the way in, not if she's chasing bait. At best this fish had a 35 mile run, and you may as well triple that if it was chasing bait. It's a long run from that stream in the state of Virginia. I believe the fish was netted, but it definitely had something wrong with it. I don't think she chased bait that far in.


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## drumrun (Dec 5, 2007)

drawinout said:


> I don't know Dogg. I don't know a thing about the tuna off of Cape May New Jersey. I can tell you this; the Bluefin that was netted near the LIP was one lost fish!!! If a fish is chasing bait, she can't swim a straight line all the way in, not if she's chasing bait. At best this fish had a 35 mile run, and you may as well triple that if it was chasing bait. It's a long run from that stream in the state of Virginia. I believe the fish was netted, but it definitely had something wrong with it. I don't think she chased bait that far in.


Thing is BFT dont follow the gulf stream like many other peligics do. In fact in the cape lookout area, it is very common to find them in 15" of water. Three years ago one was even caught in a creek down there, photos are on the net. In the New England area alot of BFT's (be it usually smaller fish 100lbs or less) are targeted and caught withing 3 miles of the beach. Ive personally seen them busting big blues off Cape Point while I was standing on the beach. Its alot more common then ya may think. IMHO


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

"Thing is BFT dont follow the gulf stream like many other peligics do.", VERY TRUE, EVEN THE MOST IGNORANT MAN CAN TELL YOU THEY CAN MIGRATE ACROSS ENTIRE OCEANS. "In fact in the cape lookout area, it is very common to find them in 15" of water." CAPE LOOKOUT IS A FAR CRY FROM SANDBRIDGE, AND A BIG TUNA IN 15 INCHES OF WATER WOULD STILL BE RARE AT CAPE LOOKOUT. "In the New England area alot of BFT's (be it usually smaller fish 100lbs or less) are targeted and caught withing 3 miles of the beach." I DON'T DOUBT IT, BUT THE TUNA WE WERE ORIGINALLY TALKING ABOUT BEACHED ITSELF IN NEW JERSEY.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Look, I don't doubt the claims of "inshore BFT'S", but it's definitely rare... Can we at least agree on that? Don't tell me I should have been casting offshore lures from the beach my entire life....


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

I was speaking about the tune here. Dolphin (not mahi) do the same thing here also and they do get beached.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

sand flea said:


> That famous image of a tuna at Sandbridge Pier (LIP) in Virginia Beach was not a false albacore. It was a bluefin, and it was huge. Lou, you out there?


When I get home, I'll pull up that pick ( photbucket is banned at my wrk PC )


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

sand flea said:


> That famous image of a tuna at Sandbridge Pier (LIP) in Virginia Beach was not a false albacore. It was a bluefin, and it was huge. Lou, you out there?


When I get home, I'll pull up that pic ( photbucket is banned at my wrk PC )


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## pier_man0909 (Feb 28, 2006)

drawinout said:


> Look, I don't doubt the claims of "inshore BFT'S", but it's definitely rare... Can we at least agree on that? Don't tell me I should have been casting offshore lures from the beach my entire life....


depends on your definition of rare I guess. quite a few have been hooked (much less landed) striper fishing in the winters.


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## Sea2aeS (Jan 7, 2005)

I remember that bluefin @ LIP. grilled some of it later that eveningopcorn: 53 inch fork length, netted on the southside across from the filet table. dec 4th 1997-98? around 10am.


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## RW_20 (Oct 16, 2007)

Never caught a tuna, and I don't dispute that the man caught this fish as he says. But I've not heard anyone dispute the size. Look at the pics again and check out the tire track under the fish. They must drive really big trucks up yonder.

Just an observation.


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## junkmansj (Jul 23, 2005)

from the guy who caught it

Gannet	
Posted: Oct 17 2008, 04:04 PM	


Advanced Member


Group: Members
Posts: 431
Member No.: 250
Joined: 23-September 03



Captain Ray, yes that is in fact what I think happened! If you would have seen ALL the Anchovy that day, it would not seem so far fetched! It is definitively a LONGFIN! That pic does no justice to the size of this fish! When laid a crossed my trucks tailgate it just missed by about an inch being the same size! The tailgate is like 50",so like 49" to the tip of the tail! When I held it upright nose on the ground, the fork of the tail reached right up to around my navel, like 42" depending on how far apart my legs were!! It was great on the plate NO DOUBT about that! Thanks again EVERYBODY! Now for that bounty here in Brig


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

*Lip tuna*


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Nice!!


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## Oyster (Jun 28, 2000)

Large BFTs beaching themselves is not unheard of at all. Back in the latter 70s or very early 80s, a very large one (600 lb+. range I believe) washed up on the beach on Hatteras Island down by Hatteras Village. The fish was found by a local charter boat mate/ commercial man, Lars Tolson, (DD might know, or know of him) who happened to be cruising the beach that morning in his 4X4. The fish was either still alive or so freshly dead that Lars saw an opportunity to make some money. He got on the CB and called a couple of his buddies out to help him load the fish into his truck and he was able to get it to the fish house while it was still fresh enough to sell. I was mating for a while down there around 83 or 4 and heard the story from a mate on another boat who happened to know Lars. I was very skeptical of the wild story and let it show. The other mate proved it to me by taking me over to Lars house. When we walked in the front door, there was a framed newspaper article on the wall with the whole story and a picture of Lars with the fish. Lars said there was no sign of injury or disease and he believed the fish had beached itself while chasing bait.


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## Al Kai (Jan 8, 2007)

RuddeDogg said:


> From what I understand from people that were there the tuna was chasing bait and came in too close.


I also think this is what happened.


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## triple t (Nov 1, 2008)

nice


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## 05 grand slam (Nov 7, 2007)

i have also heard of an 800 lb blue fin in the surf caugt by hand but this was a sick fish in hatteras when they were having their really big runs of them


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

Nserch4Drum said:


>



nope, thats a juvenile shad.


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## 05 grand slam (Nov 7, 2007)

lol now lets not start that again omg i love this site


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## Oyster (Jun 28, 2000)

*Correction*



Oyster said:


> Large BFTs beaching themselves is not unheard of at all. Back in the latter 70s or very early 80s, a very large one (600 lb+. range I believe) washed up on the beach on Hatteras Island down by Hatteras Village. The fish was found by a local charter boat mate/ commercial man, Lars Tolson, (DD might know, or know of him) who happened to be cruising the beach that morning in his 4X4. The fish was either still alive or so freshly dead that Lars saw an opportunity to make some money. He got on the CB and called a couple of his buddies out to help him load the fish into his truck and he was able to get it to the fish house while it was still fresh enough to sell. I was mating for a while down there around 83 or 4 and heard the story from a mate on another boat who happened to know Lars. I was very skeptical of the wild story and let it show. The other mate proved it to me by taking me over to Lars house. When we walked in the front door, there was a framed newspaper article on the wall with the whole story and a picture of Lars with the fish. Lars said there was no sign of injury or disease and he believed the fish had beached itself while chasing bait.


I must apologize for making two mistakes in the above post. The name of the mate that found the fish was Harold Carling and the weight of the BFT was 809 lbs. Sorry Lars


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Lip Ripper said:


> nope, thats a juvenile shad.


You're hilarious. When you start catching tuna in Fredricksburg, then you'll be doing something. Nah, I was the first one that mentioned some people mistake shad for small tarpon. If you would go back and read that post you'd realize I wasn't implying that the tarpon wasn't caught, I was just pointing out that some people mistake shad for small tarpon. Anyway.


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

drawinout said:


> You're hilarious. When you start catching tuna in Fredricksburg, then you'll be doing something. Nah, I was the first one that mentioned some people mistake shad for small tarpon. If you would go back and read that post you'd realize I wasn't implying that the tarpon wasn't caught, I was just pointing out that some people mistake shad for small tarpon. Anyway.



haha, its just one of those quotable quotes, kinda like

pine cone
ghost in the bedroom
hammer a spike
mono v braid
"strippers" in the surf
and now... thats a shad!


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

*Tuna off Ft Fisher this Weekend*

Dudes;

I was fishing at Ft Fisher, NC this past Saturday and watched a large school of Tuna jumping totally out of the water about 300-400 Yards off shore.

Awesome sight


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

Lip Ripper said:


> haha, its just one of those quotable quotes, kinda like
> 
> pine cone
> ghost in the bedroom
> ...


Now that's funny......a great post to reminince over the past year.


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