Maryland State Record Yellowedge Grouper

Maryland State Record Yellowedge Grouper

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognized Jian Feng Li of Silver Spring as the first state record holder for yellowedge grouper (Caulolatilus microps) in the Atlantic division.

Li caught the 38.0-pound, 43-inch fish on August 27, 2024 while fishing in Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City. He was deep-dropping with false albacore strips for bait and was using a hand-cranked conventional reel.

The group of anglers on Captain Chase Eberle’s charter boat Tiderunner started the day fishing offshore for dolphinfish (mahi) and other pelagic fish.

Eventually, the anglers decided to deep drop false albacore strip baits with heavy sinkers into 420 feet of water in Poorman’s Canyon, looking for large bottom fish.

Four anglers hooked up with big fish, and three broke off. Li was the only angler to bring his fish to the surface.

Staff at Sunset Marina in Ocean City weighed the fish on a certified scale. Maryland DNR biologist Gary Tyler confirmed the species.

The traditional range of yellowedge grouper was thought to be from North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

With the increased popularity of deep dropping, anglers have reported catching yellowedge groupers in the canyons off of New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia.

Yellowedge groupers are a solitary, deep-water species occurring in rocky areas and on sand or mud bottoms in 290 to 1200 feet of water. On soft bottoms, they are often seen in or near trenches or burrow-like excavations.

Yellowedge grouper feed on a wide variety of invertebrates (mainly brachyuran crabs) and fishes. They are considered very good for eating, among the best of the grouper species when fresh.

Li’s catch is the first state record for this species. It is only 10.6 pounds lighter than the International Game Fish Association world record yellowedge grouper, a 48.6-pound fish caught off Dauphin Island, Alabama in June 2012.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions — Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal, and Invasive.

Tuna Facts

Longfin Albacore Tuna

This article contains an assortment of information about tuna species including Atlantic bluefin, skipjack, yellowfin, and longfin albacore.

Western Atlantic bluefin tuna are the largest of the Atlantic tuna species. They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

Bluefin have a lifespan of 20 years or more, and generally don’t spawn until they are 8 years old.

On May 27, 2011, NOAA announced that Atlantic bluefin tuna currently do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act.

In 2011, an angler set a North Carolina state record for Atlantic bluefin tuna by catching an 805 pound, 8 ounce fish off Oregon Inlet.

Also in 2011, a North Carolina state record blackfin tuna was caught off Wrightsville Beach.

A bluefin tuna tagged by Captain Al Anderson was recaptured after 16 years.

Pacific bluefin tuna are the largest species of tuna in the Pacific. Adults can reach nearly 10 feet in length and 990 pounds, with an average lifespan of 15 years.

In 2025, Marc Spagnola was recognized as the new Maryland state record holder for longfin albacore (Thunnus alalunga) for the Atlantic Division. Spagnola’s 78-pound catch exceeded the previous record for longfin albacore set in 2004 by four pounds.

Longfin albacore have torpedo-shaped bodies, high metabolism, and other traits that allow them to swim at approximately 50 miles per hour. Longfins are migratory fish that travel in schools throughout the Atlantic Ocean.

Yellowfin tuna are distinguishable from other tunas by their long, yellow dorsal fin and a yellow stripe along their sides.

Yellowfin tuna are fast-growing and can weigh up to 400 pounds.

Skipjack tuna are identified by stripes along their lower body, and a faint lateral line running lengthwise down each side. Their back is dark purplish blue.

Skipjack tuna grow fast and can weigh up to 40 pounds. They have a relatively short life span of around 7 years.

2022 Shortfin Mako Shark Regulations - Atlantic HMS

Shortfin Mako Shark

Major changes have been implemented for shortfin mako sharks along the Atlantic coast for the 2022 fishing season. 

NOAA Fisheries recently announced a change to shortfin mako shark retention limits in Federal waters, effective on July 5, 2022.  According to NOAA, a public notice pertaining to state waters will follow soon. 

The final rule establishes a shortfin mako shark retention limit of zero in the commercial and recreational Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) fisheries, consistent with the management measure adopted in 2021 by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

If ICCAT provides for U.S. harvest in the future, NOAA Fisheries could increase the shortfin mako shark retention limit, based on regulatory criteria and the amount of retention allowed by ICCAT. Until that happens, the retention limit will remain at zero.

The rule affects:

Any commercial fishermen with HMS permits

Any recreational fishermen with HMS permits

Any dealers who buy or sell sharks or shark products

To comply with this rule, commercial and recreational fishermen (including those fishing in tournaments or on for-hire vessels) with HMS permits must release any shortfin mako sharks captured while the retention limit is zero, whether the shark is dead or alive at haulback.

NOAA Fisheries will notify the public of any change to the commercial and/or recreational shortfin mako shark retention limit via Federal Register notice and email. Fishermen must continue to follow other relevant fishery regulations, which are summarized in the Atlantic HMS compliance guides.

Mid Atlantic Saltwater Fishing Facts

Fishing Boats

Saltwater fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the Mid Atlantic region.

This article includes a few facts about recreational saltwater fishing in the Mid Atlantic including popular species, statistics, regulations, and other information.

Mid Atlantic Facts - Statistics

According to Fisheries Economics of the United States (FEUS) 2016:

The Mid-Atlantic Region includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. In 2016, there were 2.4 million recreational anglers who fished in the Mid-Atlantic Region, with14 million fishing trips taken.

In the report, recreational fishing refers to fishing for fun rather than to resell fish (commercial fishing) or for subsistence.

Key Mid-Atlantic Region Recreational Species:
• Atlantic croaker
• Black sea bass
• Bluefish
• Scup
• Spot
• Striped bass
• Summer flounder
• Tautog
• Weakfish drum
• Winter flounder

Top Mid Atlantic Catches:
summer flounder (12.2 million fish)
black sea bass (9.3 million fish)
and striped bass (8.6 million fish)

Top Catches by State:
Virginia caught the most Atlantic croaker and spot (5.6 million fish)
New Jersey caught the most summer flounder (6.9 million fish)
Maryland anglers caught the most striped bass (5.1 million fish)

Recreational Fishing Regulations

In the Mid Atlantic region, recreational fishing regulations are set by a combination of federal and state entities.

Federal Fisheries Management

Federal fisheries are generally defined as fishing activities that take place in the U.S.Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, between 3 and 200 nautical miles from the coastline). Generally, individual states retain management authority over fishing activities within three nautical miles of their coasts.

The authority to manage federal fisheries in the United States was granted to the Secretary of Commerce by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).

NOAA Fisheries is the federal agency with delegated authority from the Secretary of Commerce to oversee fishing activities in federal waters.

The MSA has been reauthorized twice since its enactment, in 1996 and again in 2006.

The 2006 MSA reauthorization included a requirement to use annual catch limits (ACLs) to end and prevent overfishing.To limit ACL overages, regional fishing councils implement management measures as necessary.

In 2018, the MSA was amended by the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act, which focused on improvements to recreational fishing data and management of mixed-use fisheries.

Fishery management plans (FMPs) provide a framework for managing the harvest of fish stocks and stock complexes. FMPs are developed by Regional Fishery Management Councils (FMCs).

Federal fisheries in the Mid Atlantic region are managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and NOAA Fisheries under seven fishery management plans (FMPs).

Two of these FMPs are developed in conjunction with the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC). The MAFMC is the lead council for the Spiny Dogfish FMP; the NEFMC is the lead for the Monkfish FMP.

In addition, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) (www.asmfc.org) serves as a deliberative body of the Atlantic coastal states, coordinating the conservation and management of 27 nearshore fish species.

Highly migratory species such as tunas, mackerels, sharks, and billfish are managed by NOAA Fisheries. Several HMS species are subject to cooperative management by NOAA and international fishing organizations.

Recent Federal Actions Impacting the Mid Atlantic

In the fall of 2019, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved Addendum VI to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Striped Bass.

The Addendum reduces all state commercial quotas by 18%, and implements a 1 fish bag limit and a 28”-35” recreational slot limit for ocean fisheries and a 1 fish bag limit and an 18” minimum size limit for Chesapeake Bay recreational fisheries. States may submit alternative regulations through conservation equivalency to achieve an 18% reduction in total removals relative to 2017 levels.

Addendum VI was initiated in response to the 2018 Benchmark Stock Assessment, which indicates the resource is overfished and experiencing overfishing. The Addendum’s measures are designed to reduce harvest, end overfishing, and bring fishing mortality to the target level in 2020.

Since catch and release practices contribute significantly to overall fishing mortality, the Addendum requires the mandatory use of circle hooks when fishing with bait to reduce release mortality in recreational striped bass fisheries.

Mid Atlantic Region State Agencies:

New York DEC (www.dec.ny.gov)
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife (www.njfishandwildlife.com)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (www.dnr.state.md.us)
Delaware DNREC (www.dnrec.delaware.gov)
Virginia Marine Resources Commission (www.mrc.state.va.us)
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (www.ncwildlife.org)

Related Information

2016 NOAA USA Recreational Fishing Statistics (saltwater)

RBFF 2017 Special Report on Fishing

Mid Atlantic Striped Bass EEZ Enforcement

North Carolina State Record False Albacore

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified a new state record for false albacore.

Michael Voytkowski of Waverly, Penn., landed the fish in April, 2015, but only recently applied for the state record honor.

He caught the false albacore while fishing on the charter boat Beagle at the Big Rock off Morehead City.

The fish weighed 32 pounds and measured 39.75 inches curved fork length (CFL) with a girth of 24.25 inches.

The former state record for false albacore was 25 pounds, 8 ounces. The world record for false albacore is 36 pounds. That fish was caught off New Jersey in 2006.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

North Carolina State Record White Marlin

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record for white marlin.

Neil Manning of Ashburn, Va. reeled in the fish on November 16 while fishing off Hatteras. The fish was caught using live menhaden on 30-pound test line.

The marlin weighed 138 pounds, had a girth of 37 inches, and measured 85 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork in the tail.

The world record for white marlin is 181 pounds, 14 ounces, caught off the coast of Brazil.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

Shearwater Artificial Reef

The Shearwater was sunk onto the Del-Jersey-Land Reef on Dec. 11, 2015.

Shearwater was sunk at approximate coordinates of 38 deg. 31.200’ N Latitude and 074 deg. 30.800’W Longitude, approximately 26 nautical miles southeast of Indian River Inlet.

The 165 foot vessel sank in 120 feet of water about one-half nautical mile from the 568-foot ex-destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford.

Prior to sinking, the vessel had served the Army and Navy before becoming a civilian ship. Shearwater had ended its working life in 2012 as a menhaden boat out of Reedville, Va.

The Del-Jersey-Land Reef, also known as Delaware Reef Site 13, is one of numerous artificial reef sites established by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Delaware has 14 permitted artificial reef sites in the Delaware Bay and coastal waters, with five of the sites located in federal (ocean) waters.

source: DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife

2015 Miami International Boat Show Big Game Fishing Seminar

The 2015 Titans of Big Game Fishing Roundtable, presented by FishTrack.com, will be held at the Miami International Boat Show at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 13th.

The seminar will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center on the main stage in the Big Game Room. The Titans of Big Game Fishing seminar is free for all boat show attendees.

The Titans of Big Game Fishing Roundtable will take place in front of a live audience and will feature three top sportfishing captains from around the world. During this one-hour, town-hall-style talk, FishTrack’s panel of experts will field a range of questions covering key topics in offshore fishing.

The talk will include tips on trolling, finding fish, bait management, boat maintenance, fishing the tides and moon, seamanship, fishing knots and more. There will also be door prizes for attendees.

The live audience will be able to ask questions during the roundtable discussion and those who can't attend the talk can still participate via FishTrack's Twitter feed (@FishTrack) and Facebook (Facebook.com/FishTrack). Anyone can send the Titans of Big Game Fishing a question via social media using the hashtag #fishingtitans.

The Titans of Big Game Fishing brings together three top captains from various hot spots around the world to shed some light on how they find fish, and the tactics they use to catch them.

The speakers making up the Titans of Big Game Fishing have more than 75 years of combined experience running boats, winning tournaments, and setting world records.

source: FishTrack.com

2013 Atlantic Billfish Recreational Landings

NOAA Fisheries recently released preliminary landings (in numbers of fish) for Atlantic blue and white marlin, roundscale spearfish, and western Atlantic sailfish for the 2013 fishing year through December 31, 2013.

Landings are compiled using self-reported angler reports from the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database, tournament landings from the Recreational Billfish Survey (RBS), catch card reports from North Carolina and Maryland, and individual billfish intercepted by the Large Pelagic Survey (LPS) and Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP).

Estimates are subject to late reporting, According to NOAA Fisheries.

The recreational billfish fishery is limited to a maximum of 250 Atlantic blue marlin, white marlin, and roundscale spearfish landings, combined, per year.

2013 Atlantic Billfish Recreational Landings

Atlantic Blue Marlin 51
Atlantic White Marlin 42
Roundscale Spearfish 1
Western Atlantic Sailfish 113*

* Western Atlantic sailfish are not included in the 250 fish landings limit for Atlantic blue and white marlin/roundscale spearfish. 

Highly migratory species (HMS) catch statistics can be found at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Bluefin Tuna Tag Recoveries

Captain Al Anderson, a charter boat captain out of Point Judith, Rhode Island, participates in the NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Tagging Program. One Capt. Anderson's tagged bluefin tuna was recently recaptured after 16 years.

That bluefin weighed a mere 14 pounds when Anderson caught it in the Mudhole east/southeast of Block Island in 1997. When a Nova Scotia fisherman recaptured it late last year, it weighed more than 1,200 pounds.

Anderson started tagging 45 years ago when he was a graduate student in fisheries biology at the University of Rhode Island.

Bluefin tuna that Anderson tagged have been recaptured off the coasts of Turkey and France. Anderson once recaptured a bluefin off Rhode Island that had been tagged ten days earlier near New Orleans, at least 1,600 miles away.

Over the years, Anderson and his charter clients have tagged tens of thousands of striped bass, almost five thousand bluefin, and 1500 sharks.

NOAA provides fishermen with tags to put on fish they catch and release, including highly migratory species like tunas, sailfish, and marlin. After tagging a fish, they send the tag number to NOAA Fisheries, along with date, location, length and weight.

If the fish is recaptured, the fisherman can read the number and call it in. That allows scientists to track migration patterns and estimate growth and mortality rates for these species.

Conventional tags provide snapshots of data when the fish is tagged and again when it’s recaptured. For a more detailed picture, scientists also deploy PSATs— pop-up satellite archival tags.

Pop-up satellite archival tags provide a huge amount of data on habitat preference, movement, and diving behavior, but because they’re costly there’s only so many of them.

Conventional tags provide less data per tag, but fishermen with the Cooperative Tagging Program have put them on roughly 270,000 fish of almost 80 different species since the program began in 1954.

More Information

Fishermen and tournament operators can get free tags and tagging kits by contacting NOAA’s Cooperative Tagging Center: http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/species/fish/tagging.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

Delaware State Record Swordfish

In Delaware, a 358-pound swordfish caught on Sept. 7 set a new state record for the species. The record-setting swordfish measured 90 inches long, with a girth of 47.5 inches.

Following a nearly three-hour battle, recreational angler Kurt Lorenz of Burke, Va., landed the fish on 80-pound test line in the area of Poor Man’s Canyon about 70 miles east of the Maryland-Virginia coast. The catch is recognized as a Delaware record since the fish was caught from a vessel out of and returning to a Delaware port.

The record catch was initially confirmed by Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agent Agent First Class Shea Lindale, who responded to a report of a potential state record at Lewes Harbour Marina. Certified scales at Lewes Harbour Marina were used to weigh the swordfish the next morning.

The fish was processed at the Lewes Harbour cleaning station by Capt. Joe Morris. Morris noted it was a prized “pumpkin swordfish,” distinguished by its pinkish orange flesh, believed to be the result of naturally occurring carotenes from its diet of shrimp and other prawns.

Lorenz’s record-sized catch tops the previous record, a 276-pound, 12-ounce swordfish caught by angler Albert Scott in 1978. The new record holder will be entered in the books for the 2013 Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament.

For more information on the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament, please consult the 2013 Delaware Fishing Guide available at  local tackle shops or online at www.fw.delaware.gov/fisheries

source: DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Regulations

The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking two actions regarding the recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery:

(1) closure of the southern area trophy BFT fishery (73" or greater) effective 11:30 p.m. local time, Thursday, April 4, through the remainder of 2013; and

(2) adjustment of the daily retention limit that applies to the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally), effective April 4, 2013, from 1 fish measuring 27 to <73" to:

1 school BFT (27 to <47”) and 1 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”) per vessel.

The recreational daily retention limit that applies to HMS Angling category vessels remains at the default level of 1 school, large school, or small medium BFT (27 to <73”) per vessel.

For more information, visit the NOAA HMS website at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm

source: NOAA HMS News

Maryland State Record Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

A new Maryland State record has been set for scalloped hammerhead shark by Scott Cusick of Jackson, NJ.

The record setting shark was caught on August 8 during the White Marlin Open tournament. Weighing in at 266 pounds, eight ounces, the fish won the tournament’s largest shark category, earning Cusick a prize of $5,150.

The fish was weighed at Harbor Island Marina. Tournament weigh-master Dale Timmons informed Cusick that he had won the shark division and that the fish could be a State record.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) fisheries biologist Chris Jones then certified the catch as a Maryland record scalloped hammerhead shark. The previous record was a 254-pound fish caught by Jamie Gill over Massey’s Canyon in 2009.

source: MD DNR

2012 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quotas - Regulations

On March 16, 2012, NOAA Fisheries proposed 2012 quota specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery. Two public hearings have been scheduled for the proposed 2012 bluefin tuna quota specifications.

The dates and locations of the public hearings are as follows:

April 4, 2012, 2 to 4 p.m. - NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930

April 10, 2012, 2:30 to 4 p.m. - NMFS Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Comments are due April 16, 2012.



The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that the agency is taking two actions regarding the recreational Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery:

A closure of the southern area trophy BFT fishery (73" or greater) will be in effect for the remainder of 2012

There will also be an adjustment of the daily retention limit that applies to the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally) to:

1 school BFT (27 to <47”) and 1 large school/small medium BFT (47 to <73”) per vessel.

The recreational daily retention limit that applies to HMS Angling category vessels remains at the default level of 1 school,large school, or small medium BFT (27 to <73”) per vessel.

According to NMFS, the actions will go in effective on April 7, 2012.

For more information on the actions, visit:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/breaking_news.htm



sources: National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA FishNews

Louisiana Yellowfin Tuna Tagging Program

During the fall of 2011, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) plans to launch a Yellowfin Tuna Tagging Program for the Gulf of Mexico.

The program will promote a culture of catch, tag and release in the recreational fishing community while contributing to the scientific data necessary to further understand the behaviors of yellowfin tuna.

Tagging tuna can provide information about their movements, migrations, stock structure, growth, population size, mortality, schooling behavior and physiology.

According to data from NOAA, the size and number of yellowfin caught are decreasing, and the downward trend has been happening since 1999.

"The new tuna tagging program will provide baseline information for the population models used to assess the health of the stock of this valuable fishery," said LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina.

"It will also help clarify the evidence that yellowfin migratory patterns have been altered by the presence of offshore oil platforms."

LDWF plans to kick off the program with a tag-and-release tournament at Venice Marina on Saturday, September 24.

With the success of the 2011 redfish tournaments, the department added a Yellowfin Tuna Fall Shootout to their Louisiana Saltwater Series.

By encouraging live tag and release, the series has focused attention on the conservation of our marine resources.

This is the first tournament of its kind in the Gulf of Mexico, and there is a 100 percent payout for first, second and third place finishers. Payout is determined based upon the total number of boats entered. A $5,000 prize is up for grabs to the chartered boat with the most tagged yellowfin.

There is also a kill fish division, and the team with the largest tuna weighed will win an offshore tackle package valued at $3,000.

There is a $500 entry fee per boat for the tournament, with a maximum of eight anglers total on each team.

Additional information, including rules, regulations and entry forms will soon be available at www.lasaltwaterseries.com

2011 Ocean City Md White Marlin Open

The 2011 White Marlin Open is expected to be competitive this year as Offshore fishing has been good off Ocean City, MD this season.

"The marlin season in Ocean City started with an early bang when the first white was caught on May 29, breaking the old record of June 1," said White Marlin Open founder Jim Motsko. "Fishing has only gotten better with large numbers of white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, and gaffer dolphin being caught."

The 2011 White Marlin Open is expected to draw over 300 boats and $2.25 million in prize money. This year's event takes place the week of August 8th running through August 12th, and boats may enter through Sunday, August 7th.

The White Marlin Open billfish tournament was voted by readers of In The Bite magazine as the tournament they would most like to fish. A portion of 2011 tournament proceeds will go to help benefit the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA).

For more information, log on to www.whitemarlinopen.com or call 410-289-9229.

source: RFA

USA Bluefin Tuna Fishing Quotas

In June, NOAA announced quotas and other measures for American bluefin tuna fisheries. The allocations divide the available 2011 U.S. bluefin tuna quota of 957 metric tons among commercial and recreational fishing sectors for the fishing season that began on June 1.

In addition, NOAA’s Fisheries Service announced it would begin a review of domestic bluefin tuna management to address allocation issues, discards of dead bluefin tuna and the best ways to reduce unintended catch of bluefin tuna.

 The total U.S. quota was set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas in November, the international body made up of 47 nations and the European Union that manages this highly migratory species.

The General category, which includes commercial fishermen who use rod and reel, will receive 435 metric tons, nearly half the 2011 U.S. quota. Allocations for the other categories are as follows: Angling category (which includes recreational fishermen),  182 metric tons; purse seine fishermen, 171.8 metric tons; longline fishermen, 61 metric tons; harpoon fishermen, 36 metric tons; trap fishermen, 0.9 metric tons; and a reserve of 70.6 metric tons. The reserve is set aside for scientific research and to account for landings and dead discards.

The allocations account for potential discards of unintentionally caught bluefin tuna. Bluefin tuna are primarily discarded by longline fishermen who are targeting swordfish and other tunas. Although fishermen attempt to release fish alive, many discarded fish do not survive. The longline fishery was the only sector to receive reductions in its base quota to account for dead discards in advance of them actually being caught. Data from the 2010 fishing season was used to estimate the discard amount.

After extensive scientific review, NOAA announced on May 27 that the Atlantic bluefin tuna currently do not warrant species protection under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA also committed to revisit the decision by early 2013, when more scientific information will be available. NOAA has also formally designated Atlantic bluefin tuna as a “species of concern” under the Endangered Species Act, placing the species on a watchlist for concerns about its status and threats to the species.

For more information on bluefin tuna go to:http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/05/bluefin_tuna.html

source: NOAA press release

North Carolina State Record Blackfin Tuna Caught

A new North Carolina state record has been set for blackfin tuna with a 40 pound, 11 ounce fish caught off Wrightsville Beach in May, 2011.

Michael C. Accattato caught the fish May 10, breaking the former state record of 40 pounds, caught off Oregon Inlet in 2007. The fish measured 39 inches total length and 29.5 inches around the girth.

 Accattato used a Synit Pe3 Shimano Stella 8000 SW rod and reel with a Williamson Jet popper lure on 70-pound test line. He was fishing with Capt. Richard Crosson, Jr. of Living Waters Guide Service in Wilmington, NC..

 The world record blackfin tuna weighed 49 pounds, 6 ounces and was caught off Marathon, Fla. in 2006.

source: N.C. D.M.F.

Angler Sets New North Carolina State Record for Giant Bluefin Tuna

An angler has set a new North Carolina state record for Atlantic bluefin tuna by catching an 805 pound, 8 ounce fish off Oregon Inlet.

Corey Schultz, an angler from the Commonwealth of Virginia caught the fish on March 12, 2011 while fishing aboard the Sea Breeze out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. The record fish measured 112 inches curved fork length and had a 76-inch girth.

Schultz caught the fish on a Shimano 80 rod and reel using 130 line test with ballyhoo for bait. According to the angler, the battle lasted for about 2 1/2 hours.

The previous North Carolina state record bluefin tuna weighed in at 744 pounds and was caught off Oregon Inlet in 1995.

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) record bluefin weighed 1,496 pounds and was near Nova Scotia, Canada in 1979.

source: North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries

NOAA Catch and Release Guidelines for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species

NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a brochure that offers guidelines on how to increase the survival of  hook-and-line caught, large pelagic species.

The objectives of careful catch and release include reducing stress and minimizing injury to a fish caught on hook-and-line, and assisting in its recovery prior to release.  These objectives are especially challenging for large highly migratory species such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, because of the size and potentially dangerous features (e.g., teeth and swords) of these species.

The brochure provides guidelines for careful catch and release in four topic areas: planning ahead, gear, play and handling, and release and revival.

 The information in this brochure will assist anglers in following NOAA Fisheries regulations, which require that any Atlantic highly migratory species that is caught and released, be released in a manner that maximizes its probability of survival.  The survival of a released fish today will help lead to healthy stocks for future harvest.

To obtain the document, visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ and click on the brochure to download it, or call 301-713-2347.