Insane Bluefin Tuna Action Off New Jersey and Long Island
While acres of bunker and striped bass have created white-water feeds within casting distance of the beach this fall, bluefin tuna are putting on a show of their own. Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to witness a spectacular collision of tuna, stripers, and bunker just off New York City. As another angler on board said: “In 20 years of tuna fishing I have never seen anything like that.”
Story Time: The Most Insane Tuna Feed I Have Ever Seen
We started out trolling lines and chasing a few sporadic blow-ups in the distance. Eventually, we stowed the double-wides and readied the popping rods on the bow, steaming for the first pile of birds we saw.
“Whoever’s good at casting get the f*** to the front of the boat, NOW!” Capt. Chris Anderson yelled from the helm. “OHHH MY GOD!!!” I heard from the bow as I ducked under the wings to get there. I would’ve been ready to truck through the screen like a football player at homecoming if it hadn’t already been unzipped. I jumped onto the seat as the engines came to a halt, nearly getting thrown overboard. As I scrambled up, I witnessed a spectacle that I will hopefully take with me to my grave.
It started with bunker, in a single spot, erupting as though a whale was breaching on them. Then, it seemed like the entire ocean around us was replaced by bunker. That was when the giant eyes, dorsal fins, and tails became visible. At least a dozen bluefin were raking through the fish, creating explosive sounds like a cannon ball hitting the water (Recognizable from my past life as a pirate). “There’s friggin’ huge bass on them too!” said the angler next to me as he came tight to a large striper on his RonZ.
I haphazardly launched my jig into the chaos, immediately bumping into bunker and within a few cranks, coming tight. I don’t think I’ve screamed with such euphoria since I opened a Nintendo gaming console on Christmas years ago. Unfortunately, it was just a 30-pound bass. I’d never unhooked and released a big striper so fast in my life.
This all went on for less than a minute. More boats arrived, and I watched in pity as a young angler in a nearby center console came tight and immediately snapped his line. He screamed in agony. I continued making awkward casts just a few feet from the boat, but I quickly felt like my ambitions were misguided. In this scenario, capturing these tuna on camera would have been a much better option than a fishing rod. It was all over as quickly as it happened. And although we found more feeds that day, we never saw a scene like that again.
This type of tuna fishing is called “ghost hunting” for a reason.
Bluefinsanity on Social Media
For several weeks, Instagram has been flooded with footage of incredible inshore tuna feeds off New Jersey and Long Island. These clips and photos provide just a glimpse into the madness.
Related Content
Chasing Late Season “Ghost” Tuna in New Jersey
LISTEN: Bluefin Biology w/ Dr. Walt Golet | OTW Podcast – Ep. 37
Source: https://onthewater.com/bluefinsanity-off-long-island
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