An exhausted captain spoke out about his struggle after a crew of five in Texas took on a 676-pound bluefin tuna that snapped its pole in half during a two-hour fight.
Capt. Tim Oestreich was aboard the charter fishing boat Dolphin Express with his crew and 16 fishermen March 24 in the Hoover Diana oil fields, about 130 to 160 miles from Port Aransas.
Oestreich said the trip began in rough seas with 6- to 8-foot waves, but yellowfin tuna were biting.
As each person took turns landing the fish, some could only last two or three minutes before getting tired, Oestreich told Sport Fishing magazine.
“When a fisherman was done, he would ask for ‘fresh meat on the reel,'” he said.
In the image: the crew members next to the huge tuna. Captain Tim Oestreich (left) and a crew of five in Texas took on a 676-pound bluefin tuna that snapped its pole in half during a two-hour fight.
Pictured: the 676-pound bluefin tuna. “It took two hours to catch the bluefin tuna and it finally broke the rod,” Oestreich said.
The captain said the bait was in the water for only 10 minutes before the bluefin took it and dove, taking 800 yards of line with it.
“That’s almost a half mile down in about a minute,” Osetreich said.
Forty-five minutes later, the fishermen had towed the tuna alongside the main 95-foot vessel, but then it set sail again.
The captain tried to keep the fish moving to drain it of energy.
“You can’t chase a big tuna in deep water or you’ll fight for hours,” Oestreich said.
The boat followed the running tuna for about 2.5 miles.
After 45 minutes, the fish was back next to the boat.
He took off again, snapping the 30-pound bar in half.
Pictured: Tuna at Dolphin Dock. Dolphin Dock’s Deep Sea Fishing calls the 56-hour trip the ‘Texas Safari’
Oestreich grabbed the broken rod and pulled the fish by hand for 40 feet.
He said it took eight people to get the tuna out of the water and into the boat.
“It took two hours to pick up the bluefin tuna and it finally broke the pole,” Oestreich told the Houston-based Chron news outlet. He also noted that the rod cost $1,000.
‘The regulations for catching bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico are strict with only one per boat. It’s not common to catch one because they are targeted and so big.
During the 56-hour trip, the fishermen also caught three yellowtail tuna each and 11 wahoo fish.
Dolphin Docks Deep Sea Fishing said in a Facebook post: “Good job anglers.”
“When my arm heals I would love to go back…as soon as I find a bigger freezer,” wrote a guest on Facebook.
Pictured: Fresh catch at Dolphin Dock. During the 56-hour trip, the fishermen also caught three yellowtail tuna each and 11 wahoo fish.
Commenting on the Facebook post of the fishing charter, one user wrote: ‘Yay Tim! You are the fish killer!
Another posted: “Nice catch guys!”
One of the photos in the post shows the crew posing with the massive bluefin tuna, which is the length of five men.
Another photo shows the tuna being hung up for display on the pier.
On an average trip, the boat catches a limit of three yellowfin per person.
“I probably land 1,100 tuna every four or five months,” Oestreich said.
Dolphin Dock’s Deep Sea Fishing calls the 56-hour trip the ‘Texas Safari.’
After bringing the huge fish to shore, it was filleted and divided among 14 customers, according to Chron.
A different vessel from Port Aransas caught a 750-pound bluefin tuna just a few days later.
The bluefin tuna is the largest type of tuna in the world, measuring between six and 10 feet. They can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and live an average of 35 years.
They are predators that seek out schools of fish such as herring, mackerel, and even eels.
About a billion pounds of tuna are consumed each year, according to the National Fisheries Institute.