Tournaments Virginia Bluefin Tuna Record Boat Destroyed

Virginia Bluefin Tuna Record Boat Destroyed

Photos of the recent destruction of Ate Up — the boat that caught the Virginia bluefin tuna record.

By Patrick McLaughlin (photos)

April 25, 2015

2015 april 19 ate up croatan surfing beach2.jpg

On April 6, 2015, _Ate Up _angler Chase Robinson caught a 606-pound bluefin tuna. It has been certified as the new Virginia State Record by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, beating the existing record of 573-pounds of 2007 by Frederick “Bo” Haycox of Virginia Beach. Robinson hooked the bluefin nearly 80 miles off Rudee Inlet in 900-feet of water. The bluefin measured 113.5 inches in total length, 102.5-inches straight line fork length and a 71-inch girth. More than a week later, on April 18, things took a turn for the worst. Ate Up was destroyed. Charles Dawson, the captain of Ate Up, wrote a detailed account of what happened via his Facebook page. “We decided to run to the point to tuna fish on Saturday morning at 2 a.m., a 105 mile run down the coast,” Dawson wrote. “While we were fishing my port transmission died on us grinding to a halt.” Capt. Dawson ended the post with triumphant words of recovery. “Trust me, this is not the end of my fishing excursions. This hurts, but I will come back stronger. I may be down, but don’t count me out.” Here at Marlin, we are glad that the crew is safe and sound.