The 78-pound fish was landed off Ocean City

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has officially recognized Marc Spagnola of Berlin, Worcester County, as the new state record holder for longfin albacore (Thunnus alalunga) for the Atlantic Division. Spagnola’s 78-pound catch surpasses the previous record set in 2004 by four pounds.

Spagnola was fishing out of Ocean City on the 82-foot private boat Instigator, which can troll as many as 15 lines at one time with a wide variety of lures and baits. He and a crew of other seasoned fishermen had been trolling in the Hudson Canyon, off the coasts of northern New Jersey and New York. When the seas turned rough, they headed south toward home port.

At dawn on September 21, the longfin albacore took a lure on a rod and line set from the flying bridge, called a shotgun, which is typically set very far beyond the other lures and baits. Spagnola took the rod, and the fight was on. The crew initially thought the fish was a yellowfin tuna, but once it was boated, they realized it was an exceptionally large longfin albacore.

The fish was weighed on a certified scale at Sunset Marina in Ocean City.

The group’s two-day trip ended with an impressive 29 tuna landed, including bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and longfin albacore. They also caught a large number of common dolphinfish, known also as mahi-mahi.

Spagnola has been fishing offshore most of his life. He said he enjoys the adventure that it offers, as well as the rewards of tuna steaks, poke bowls, smoked tuna, and home-canned tuna.

Longfin albacores’ torpedo-shaped bodies, high metabolism, and other unique traits allow them to swim at speeds topping 50 miles per hour. These highly migratory fish travel in schools throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions: Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal, and Invasive. Anglers who believe they have caught a potential record-setting fish should complete the state record application and call 410-991-0748. The department recommends keeping the fish immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be verified and certified.

Maryland state fishing licenses are available on DNR’s MD Outdoors website. Fishing licenses, fishing tackle, boats, and marine fuel purchases fund DNR’s fish and wildlife conservation work.