After 4-hour fight, 2 fishermen land 718-pound giant bluefin tuna off Manasquan coast

After a four-hour fight and a close call with a tug boat Capt. Kevin Goldberg of the Marener sportfishing boat, along with Mike Resetar, landed a 718-pound giant bluefin tuna.

The fish was too big to squeeze through the tuna door of the 36-foot SeaVee center console boat so it had to be towed back to dock 10 miles. Goldberg said they cut the fish up and are feeding friends and family with it.

"I've had a lot of challenging times fishing. Days where we didn't catch anything. So when you get a day like this, it's very rewarding," Goldberg said.

It was just Goldberg, who sails out of Manasquan Inlet, and Resetar on the boat to fight the big fish. While it is a bit early in the spring for the giants to be here, Goldberg has been following their migration. He had two bluefin last December in the inshore waters. He and Resetar went out Saturday to give it shot.

They followed bird life to area about that is 10 miles outside of Manasquan Inlet, east of the reefs, and trolled a three rod set up consisting of 130-pound trolling rods and 130-class Shimano reels. As far as rigging, they trolled Joe Shutes spreader bars with ballyhoo. They set the rods up at 9 a.m. and a half-hour into the troll the stern rod went down as if the fish was just waiting for them.

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It would be four hours, though, before they'd actually meet face to face, because the giant tuna gave them a run for their money. On several occasions the fish took them down to the backing on the reel on deep runs. In total, Goldberg said it ran seven times on them, and more than once the thought entered his head that they'd lose the battle.

The scariest moment came when the tuna was 500 yards off the stern and a tug boat pulling a barge was coming near. The tug got within 50 yards of the boat. Goldberg said he got on the radio to alert the captain but whether the captain knew is unknown because he never got a reply The tug would pass though and the fight continued with the Goldberg and Resetar taking turns on the reel and with the fish eventually getting tail wrapped.

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon when the fish finally surrendered. They got the giant to the side of the boat but it was too big to bring in, so they tied if off with rope.

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Unlike Earnest Hemingway's epic tale "The Old Man and the Sea," the sharks did not come along and eat the giant. Though, after all they had been through to get it, Goldberg joked that they'd have fought the sharks over it.

(Editing note: The name of Earnest Hemingway was misspelled when this story was originally published.)

News of the giant bluefin catch spread quickly through the local fishing pipeline. Logan Bailey at The Reel Seat in Brielle said an entire fleet was out there the next day trying its luck.

The giant bluefin tuna wasn't the only fish to appear this weekend, locally. The bluefish have arrived Gabriel Tackle in Brick reported Chris Kahler caught one in the Manasquan River. And as most fishermen know, where's there's one bluefish, there are more.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: After 4-hour fight, 2 fishermen land 718-pound giant bluefin tuna off Manasquan coast