BRUNSWICK — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has announced a men’s record for blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) landed in Georgia by Tyler Deal of Statesboro.

Deal caught this fish on April 30 while trolling the Triple Ledge offshore of Savannah that appeared large enough for the record. He brought the fish to the Savannah Yacht Club where it weighed 40-pounds, 8 ounces on a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale.
Deal received a certificate acknowledging his record catch, which will be added to the Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Records list published at www.coastalGaADNR.org and will be included in the 2017 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations.

This state record catch replaces the existing men’s record of 38-pounds, 10 ounces established in 2005.
Blackfin is the smallest tuna species in the Thunnus genus, generally growing to a maximum of 39 inches in length and weighing 46 pounds. They are found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and range from North Carolina to Brazil. This is a pelagic schooling fish that feeds near the surface on a diet of small fishes, squid, crustaceans and plankton.

The current list of men’s and women’s saltwater fish records is available at www.CoastalGaDNR.org along with information on how to submit a fish for addition to the Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Records. In addition to an accurate weight, it’s important to provide several color photographs of the fish along with the application. There are also minimum weights for several species.

Anglers wishing to enter a fish for a state record must have the fish weighed on a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale in the presence of at least one witness. Certified scales can be found at seafood markets, grocery stores and agricultural supply stores. During business hours, anglers can have their catch weighed at the Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick.

For more information, call the DNR’s Coastal Resources Division at 912-264-7218.