A father and son from Conception Bay South had a lucrative week fishing for tuna with their most recent catch weighing 710 lbs.
Greer Hunt Jr., 23, landed his first Atlantic bluefin tuna Tuesday, using just a rod and reel to haul in the massive fish.
He said a tuna like the one he caught can sell for close to $10,000.
“The fight is unreal,” he said from a wharf in the Foxtrap Marina.
“You’ll gain 100 [to] 200 yards and the fish will take it right back out, so its really a big battle — a tug of war.”
Hunt said it took about two hours to finally catch the fish, and he expects his arms and legs will be sore over the next few days from the fight.
He shares the only licence to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna in Conception Bay with his father, Greer Hunt Sr. They are also the only fishermen in Newfoundland allowed to catch them using a rod and reel.
Bluefin tuna are sold both locally and as far away as Korea and Japan. The duo already have a buyer lined up in Montreal for the one caught Tuesday.
The Hunts have a quota of a tonne and half per year, but they can also take part in the commercial fishery as well.
Greer Hunt Sr. said this season has been a good one so far.
“This is the third fish and we have had four hookups in five days,” he said.
“It’s great to see them back. It reminds me of when I was a little boy with my father fishing.”
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