Crew defies odds, lands two giant tuna on consecutive days
The crew of the Grady Bunch, fishing the first two days of 2015 just outside Beaufort Inlet, may not have landed a state-record bluefin tuna, but the three men and a boy almost certainly accomplished a feat no other North Carolina saltwater crew has duplicated: Catching two bluefin tuna on consecutive days that combined to weigh more than 1,500 pounds.
On Jan. 1, Pete O’Donnell of Beaufort was on the rod and brought a massive bluefin tuna to the stern where boat-owner Jason Davis, acting as first mate, harpooned the 785-pound giant. Ray Watkins of Lake Royale was captain while Davis’ son, Hunter, took photographs.
The next day, even closer to shore, they caught a 767-pound bluefin, an unheard of back-to-back catch in North Carolina waters. Moreover, Davis’ 33-foot Grady White Express is essentially a king mackerel boat, not well-suited to decking giant tuna.
For the complete story of how the two giants were landed from our friends at NorthCarolinaSportsman.com, click here.
