This also happened inCape May County NJ 2 weeks ago!
http://www.acfishing.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=10335&st=0
http://www.acfishing.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=10335&st=0
Ive seen the photos def a bluefin and not that small either.Well, she's definitely a tuna, but I'd say there had to be something wrong with that fish to just beach itself like that. That's extremely rare.
Basstardo, as far as the bluefin cast netted a few years back, i'd almost bet my bottom dollar it was a fat albert that was mistaken for a small bluefin. I hate to be a skeptic, but I've noticed a lot of people get confused when they catch a fat albert close to shore. In my fathers fishing days (late 70's and early 80's), they caught a lot of bluefin 20 miles out of Rudee Inlet, but that fishery isn't really there anymore. If it was a bluefin that was caught in a cast net around the LIP, it was definitely a "once in a lifetime" type thing.
Thing is BFT dont follow the gulf stream like many other peligics do. In fact in the cape lookout area, it is very common to find them in 15" of water. Three years ago one was even caught in a creek down there, photos are on the net. In the New England area alot of BFT's (be it usually smaller fish 100lbs or less) are targeted and caught withing 3 miles of the beach. Ive personally seen them busting big blues off Cape Point while I was standing on the beach. Its alot more common then ya may think. IMHOI don't know Dogg. I don't know a thing about the tuna off of Cape May New Jersey. I can tell you this; the Bluefin that was netted near the LIP was one lost fish!!! If a fish is chasing bait, she can't swim a straight line all the way in, not if she's chasing bait. At best this fish had a 35 mile run, and you may as well triple that if it was chasing bait. It's a long run from that stream in the state of Virginia. I believe the fish was netted, but it definitely had something wrong with it. I don't think she chased bait that far in.
When I get home, I'll pull up that pick ( photbucket is banned at my wrk PC )That famous image of a tuna at Sandbridge Pier (LIP) in Virginia Beach was not a false albacore. It was a bluefin, and it was huge. Lou, you out there?