A fantastic run of small-medium and large-medium sized bluefin tuna is occurring off the north-central N.C. coast and has been on-going during the entire month of February.
Area fishing observers are expecting the bluefin run to last through March.
“It’s been spectacular bluefin tuna fishing — when the boats could get out,” said Sheila Ballance of Hatteras Harbor Marina. “One day last week we had 30 bluefin tuna releases, so nearly everyone who went out caught (their one legal) fish. One boat released 10 bluefins.
“Last Saturday we had a 350-pound-plus bluefin weighed in.
“This run of bluefins isn’t unusual and I expect it will continue through March.”
Atlantic small-medium and large-medium bluefin tuna include fish that are 59 to 73 inches curved fork length (SM) and 73 to 81 inches curved fork length (LM). Boats may keep only one such bluefin per day.
“They’re not the giant tunas, but most of them are in the keeper slot size,” Ballance said.
The only limiting factor for anglers is weather, she added.
“When we get southerly winds over 20 mph that pretty much keeps people on the dock,” Ballance said. “But today (Feb. 23) we had boats out with a north wind of 21 mph, but they’re forecasting the wind to lay out later in the day.”
If anglers don’t have a boat or captain preference, they can call Hatteras Harbor Marina (1-800-676-4939) and officials there will try to put together a “makeup” charter.
“This time of year people need to call ahead to see if we can get a makeup trip together,” Ballance said. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility to get a makeup trip together — again, if you can get weather to cooperate.”
Charters rates for a full-day’s fishing vary from $1400 to $1500 ($233 to $250 per angler for a normal six-anglers trip).
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