Tidal Fish Forum banner

77" BFT caught in Bogue Sound NC in Skiff!!

9K views 28 replies 25 participants last post by  sushiman50 
#1 ·
This was posted by his step daughter

Greg Dennis and Hugh Sutton (neighbor across the creek) witnessed something rather large swimming around the creek and both hopped in our 16 ft. Carolina Skiff to check it out. They were unsure of what exactly it was at first, and after casting towards the fish with light tackle, they eventually foul-hooked the tuna, and once they got close to the tuna, they gaffed it thinking it was a yellow-fin tuna. Since they were in 3 ft. of water, the tuna was unable to swim quick enough and so it was relatively easy to pull right up to the fish. There were several of us watching from the our docks less than 50 yards away in complete disbelief. After Greg almost fell out of the boat while gaffing the tuna, they brought the fish to the dock so we could all take several pictures. The pictures are linked below. They then took the fish to Island Harbor Marina where the Marine Fisheries and Federal guys met up with them. They had no intentions of selling this fish or they obviously wouldn't have split his stomach at the dock.

And yes, Greg has his commercial license and tuna permit but the tuna permit was for his 25 ft. parker, not his 16 ft. skiff. Therefore, the tuna was confiscated. Fines at this point, were unsure of, hopefully none... but it was worth every second!

Greg knew it wasn't the right thing to do by gaffing this fish but he also had no idea at the time that it was a bluefin tuna. How often does a 77 inch bluefin tuna end up in Archer's Creek? So just out of curiousity, what would you have done??

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/mascheer99/albums
 
See less See more
#6 ·
I would have definately THOUGHT it was a yellowfin tuna myself -lmao, pretty work that was one lost fish was he feeding in there or do they think something was wrong w/ him? I think last year some commercial guys caught one at the Monitor Merrimac bridge. Either way he would be sushi.....
 
#13 ·
while it certainly makes good copy i have a different viewpoint. He has a commercial license, he knew the rules, and broke them. Any idiot who has tuna fished knows it is a million times more likely to a bluefin way inshore than a yellowfin, and a fish that size in shallow water would easily be identifiable to a "commercial" fisherman. I thinks it is sad that he is applauded for breaking the rules, especially since he should know them better than anyone.

It is certainly unusual, but Bluefin have beached themselves this time of year almost every year, so it isn't too far a stretch for one to creek itself.
 
#17 ·
I agree with Tommy Tuna 100%!!!!!!!!! A holder of a commercial license in my opinion is a professional fisherman/waterman and a professional in any field should be held to a higher standard, setting an example so to speak…. in this case simply abiding by the federal regulations put in place to sustain a fishable BFT population, which I am certain any “professional” fisherman would be aware of would have been sufficient. He is a lawbreaker.
 
#18 · (Edited)
It also sucks that they are on the brink of collapse from all the pirate longliners and countries that dont play right, and here we are slicing and dicing the issues, while the real culprits work freely 300 miles off our coasts.

What probably pi$$es off Lou and Tom more than anything is that the guy acts like he didnt know it was a bluefin, when he was close enough to touch it.

Edit: Hmmm, I wonder if some little girl could've caught it on a Scooby-Doo fishing rod.
 
#20 ·
NCDMF, NMFS, & USCG Requirements for Commercial Tuna Fishermen

I understand and applaud his instinctive desire to go get that big fish in the creek behind his house, but this is 2006 and there are rules that he knew, or should have known well. Ignorance of the law is unfortunately a poor excuse when the cops bust you.

If he has a NC Standard Commercial License for himself, a NMFS HMS permit for his 25 foot boat, but no NMFS HMS permit for his 16 ft skiff (who does?), then he should know that he can't get on his 16 ft skiff and fish for or kill ANY tuna, yellowfin or bluefin.

Nobody is allowed to fish for or retain any tuna or other HMS without an HMS permit for the specific boat you are fishing from.

If he were somewhat smart about it, he would have got the fish, gone back to his or someone else's computer, and within 5 minutes he could have paid for and printed off a NMFS HMS permit for his 16 ft skiff. Then he could have sold the fish or done whatever he felt like with it, assuming he got the Charter/Headboat or General Category NMFS HMS permit and had all the necessary safety gear on board...(unlikely - he may not even have it on his 25 footer).

To get the NMFS Charter/Headboat HMS permit he would have to have his USCG Captain's license and would have to have had a 406 MHz EPIRB registered with the FCC with registration card on the boat, an immersion suit for each person on board, and all other safety gear required by the 1988 Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Act ($200+ SOLAS flare kit, etc.). If he got the General Category HMS permit he would not need his Captain's License but he would need all the same safety equipment, AND he would then NOT be allowed to recreational fish for any HMS (tuna, mahi, marlin, wahoo, etc.).

Bottom line - to LEGALLY be a silly rec and part-time commercial tuna fishermen like many of us here in NC, it takes at least a couple thousand dollars of safety equipment, a USCG Captain's License, an NCDMF Standard Commercial Fishing license (or NCDMF out of state land-n-sell permit using your out-of-state commercial license), and NMFS Charter/Headboat HMS permit. Both the Charter/Headboat and General Category HMS permits require all the 1988 CFVSA safety equipment, and if you plan to fish recreationally you must have the Charter/Headboat permit, which requires a USCG Captain's License.

Most people like me have worked hard for many years to get all this stuff to enable us to fish both commercially and recreationally for tuna, so it's not fair for others to cheat the system. I hope the NCDMF, NMFS, and the USCG enforce these permit requirements 24/7/365. Fair is fair. I have to rack up 365 days of fishing offshore to get my USCG license, submit to random drug and alcohol testing every year, and then pay for all the safety equipment and annual fishing licenses and permits to be legal, and so should everyone else who wants to play this game.

Anyone who has questions on this and needs help getting themselves in legal status, feel free to email me at sushihouse@charter.net or call me at 252-216-OBX1. For questions on the safety equipment requirements of the 1988 CFVSA, you can read the USCG document on-line at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/cfvs/fedreq.pdf .

Good luck out there this winter!

Capt. Charley Pereira
www.sushisf.com
252-216-OBX1
custom offshore charters & hands-on offshore fishing education
52 ft Sushi - Pirate's Cove Marina, NC - 24 knot cruise - comfy
27 ft Sushi II - anywhere you want...via trailer - 33 knot cruise - hardcore
 
#24 ·
Not that you get too many pelagics in the creeks, but it might be an indication of how often we over-run fish in the quest to be "offshore" fishermen. Everybody's going 15 miles off the inlet so we need to also...maybe not. The biggest bluefin I was ever hooked up to (700+) was just outside the beach breakers on the north side of Ocracoke Inlet - I was watching a lady walk her dog on the beach just before we hooked up. With only 35 feet of water, the bluefin went due south without ever slowing down. Seas were 8 to 10 ft or more that day and we didn't have enough time to start chasing the fish before he dumped us on the 80 Tiagra. Tommy Tuna was on the boat.

It was so rough that day that one of the commercial boats breached and sank in Hatteras inlet trying to get back in. One of the 700+ bluefin hooked by a commercial boat that day ripped his hydraulic deck reel and gunnel right off the boat when he tried to increase the drag to stop the fish, leaving a 2x2 foot chunk missing. Only big fish landed that day dressed out at 580 lb. Choppy day at HattRas.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top