Irish record albacore tuna and tope

Anyone hear of a new Irish record albacore tuna caught last week? Heard a whisper of a 64-pounder caught off the southwest coast somewhere... also heard the tope record might have been broken... anyone know more?

Hi Bradan

There is a well documented case of a 80 lb + fish being released by the angler off Kilmore Quay a few years ago on the basis, rightly, that to kill such a fish would have been a travesty.

What is the situation with a record tope - do you still have to kill it?

Cheers

Hi Bradan

There is a well documented case of a 80 lb + fish being released by the angler off Kilmore Quay a few years ago on the basis, rightly, that to kill such a fish would have been a travesty.

What is the situation with a record tope - do you still have to kill it?

Cheers

Kieran- I think the position is it has to be weighed on land. It can then be released.

"
CLAIMS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED IN THE CASE OF FISH WHICH HAVE BEEN WEIGHED ON BOARD A BOAT.
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CLEAR, SHARP, CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHS, showing the entire fish with its fins and other features easily seen, and not fore-shortened or obscured by shadows or bystanders must be provided in the case of

TOPE,
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jd

Heard that one of the angling boats out of Valentia took either a 60lb albacore or a yellowfin, can't confirm it yet though. Great catch if its true.

Hi Bradan

There is a well documented case of a 80 lb + fish being released by the angler off Kilmore Quay a few years ago on the basis, rightly, that to kill such a fish would have been a travesty.

What is the situation with a record tope - do you still have to kill it?

Cheers

Was talking to someone in the know today. The recent fish was caught close to shore so they kept it alive, brought it ashore for weighing on certified scales, then released it. Apparently the same skipper in Kilmore has had many 70lbs+ tope over the last few years but they haven't been certified as they wouldn't kill the fish and were too far from shore to get it weighed.

albacore tuna


http://www.cfb.ie/fishing_in_ireland/up ... ngling.htm

Well known Tuna angler Derek Noble reports on a recent trip with a private boat with friends after Albacore Tuna off the Kerry coast out from CAHERSIVEEN

Wednesday September 5th

03.00a.m.

Fired up the twin engines and left Cahirciveen Marina. On board were sea trout enthusiast Henry Macaulay, his son Barry and top charter skipper of the Cahirciveen boat 'Wey Chieftain' Adrian Hanley. We steamed in a South Westerly direction for four hours with four Penn International 12 lb class rods with 12Lt reels loaded with 20lb IGFA line and trolling began.

07.50a.m.

Two reels start screaming! Henry takes one and Adrian grabs the other. I could tell by the initial run this was no ordinary Albacore. Ten minutes later Adrian’s fish was lost, the hook pulled. Thirty minutes passed and still no sign of Henry’s fish. I thought we might have hooked a small Bluefin tuna that sometimes travel with the Albacore. Henry who had never fished tuna before played the fish with great skill. His knowledge of fighting game fish was showing. After 45 minutes of an epic battle we saw colour and yes it was an Albacore. I grabbed the leader, gaffed him and heaved him through the transom door.

What a fish! Certainly the biggest Albacore I had ever seen. I guessed the weight at 30 kilos and immediately knew we had smashed the Irish record held by well known fisherman Mr. Alan Glanville of Dunmore East with a fish of 16.5kg. I couldn't remember what the European record on 20lb line was but knew this fish must be close. We continued fishing until 18.00hrs and headed north east for home. On board was a total of nine Albacore tuna, what a day!. Denis Froud of Kent broke the 16lb line class with me in 2000 and I knew we had another potential record on deck. Steaming back to Cahirciveen at 16 knots I couldn't help but think, could this possibly be a 20 lb line class world record! On arrival at the marina at 22.00hrs the fish weighed in at just over 29 kgs, a new European record by over 1 kg. And incredibly only 10.5 kgs short of the current World record. On weighing the fish on two different certified scales the following day, Henry had indeed set a new European record for Cahirciveen. It will be sixty days before Henry’s record will be ratified by the European Federation as strict rules must be adhered to and the line must be tested. The previous record was set in the Canary Islands in 1977.

pity they were taken etc. - tuna are getting hammered at the moment

Just wonderin'...are they in large quantity ....i mean here bin ireland....other than trolling has anybody ever tried other method to catch them???For me its just look so boring to catch such a sporting fish on troll.....