ANGLERS have been targeting big bluefin tuna off the western coast of Ireland for a couple of years now, and Stephen Black has proved the area’s potential once again with a monster fish weighing 594lb.
The Kildare angler was fishing with Irish record holder Adrian Molloy of Bluefin Charters when the massive fish struck late in the afternoon, on a day when the pair had witnessed big tuna surface feeding for many hours.
The big fish put up a one and half hour long fight against 130lb class gear, but eventually skipper Adrian managed to pull the fish aboard his 38ft boat ‘Naomh Cartha’.
The fish is the second biggest caught off the Irish caost to date. The biggest is the record at 968lb, caught by Adrian last year within 300 yards of the coast. It was one of 20 boated in August and September last year.
The potential of the area for anglers was first realised in September 2000, when Alan Glanville caught blue fins of 529lb and 353lb aboard Brian McGilloway’s charter boat ‘Suzanne’ in Donegal Bay.