New MD State Record Yellowfin Tuna

A New Jersey man hooked a new state record yellowfin tuna while on an overnight trip at the Washington Canyon 500 Fathom Tip. On Sunday Sept. 22 at 3 a.m., Mark Bennett of Salem, NJ hooked a 236.5 pound yellowfin tuna while chunking butterfish aboard the private boat Doghouse, captained by Edgar Lewis. After 40 - 45 minutes of battling on stand up tackle with 80 pound test line, the 68.75-inch tuna, with a girth of 48.5 inches, was boated.

The fish was weighed on certified scales at Sunset Marina, an official Maryland Sport Fishing Tournament Citation Center, and verified by Dale Timmons and Rose Stivers. The new record exceeds the previous record of 187 pounds caught July 25, 1998 by 49.5 pounds.