Pacific bluefin tuna caught on boat's maiden voyage
Two brothers have landed a monster 247.6kg Pacific bluefin tuna off Northland’s Cavalli Islands, turning the maiden voyage of their new boat Barcode into an unforgettable adventure. After a gruelling six-and-a-half-hour battle and a 12-nautical-mile chase, the brothers finally landed their dream fish, proving that persistence pays off!
A six-and-a-half-hour battle, a 12-nautical-mile chase and a fish of a lifetime made for an unforgettable maiden voyage off Northland’s Cavalli Islands.
Two brothers have landed an impressive 247.6kg Pacific bluefin tuna off Northland’s Cavalli Islands, turning the maiden voyage of their new boat into a fishing adventure they will never forget.
Skipper Dan McCully and his brother Sean, who battled the fish on the rod, landed the giant tuna on 22 October while fishing aboard Barcode, a new Southern Sports 726.
The brothers had spent around 10 days over the past two years targeting bluefin without success, but their persistence finally paid off.
Launching from Te Ngaere Bay, the pair headed towards the Cavalli Islands for what was originally intended to be a day trip.
However, after witnessing plenty of tuna activity throughout the first day, they decided to stay overnight and continue their search the following morning.
That decision proved to be a good one.
Fishing just 10–15 metres from the rocks, the brothers were bringing in a live koheru bait when their lighter bait rod suddenly loaded up.
A tuna had grabbed the live bait, but the light tackle was no match for the powerful fish, and the line quickly broke.
Almost simultaneously, their main bluefin rod screamed into action.
Initially, the brothers thought the two lines had become tangled, but it soon became clear they had experienced two separate hookups.
The second fish was considerably better matched to their tackle, although the battle that followed would test both angler and equipment to the limit.
Using a Shimano Tiagra 80 reel, 60kg line and a 200lb fluorocarbon trace, Sean settled in for what would become an extraordinary six-and-a-half-hour fight.
The tuna’s first run stripped an estimated 400–500 metres of line, forcing the brothers to give chase in the boat.
At one stage, they were travelling at approximately nine knots, yet the powerful fish was still pulling line from the reel.
Over the course of the six-and-a-half-hour battle, the brothers travelled approximately 12 nautical miles chasing the fish as it made powerful runs through the surrounding waters.
It was an hour-and-a-half before they managed their first glimpse of the tuna, but bringing it to the surface was only part of the challenge.
After six-and-a-half gruelling hours, Sean finally brought the massive bluefin alongside Barcode.
However, the brothers soon discovered they had another problem — the fish was simply too large to lift aboard.
With no easy way of getting their catch into the boat at sea, they made the decision to tow the tuna to a beach, where they were eventually able to get it aboard.
The fish tipped the scales at an impressive 247.6kg, providing a remarkable reward for two years of persistence and a memorable introduction for their new boat.
