'07 Bluefin season starts on optimistic note

July 04, 2007

Commercial Fisheries News
June 2007
by Rosanne Mizzoni

KENNEBUNK, ME Fishermen began the first weekend of the 2007 bluefin tuna season with a bang. The fishery, which opened on June 1, saw four fish landed in Gloucester and 11 more landed in the southern Maine ports of Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, and York.

The bluefin were all stick boat fish. But rod and reel fishermen out of Cape Cod reported seeing all sizes of fish in mid-June.

“I’ve heard about a few fish trolled up, mostly small fish,” said Dave Mason at Tightlines Tackle Co. in Walpole, ME.

Joe Curcuru at Fisherman’s Outfitter in Gloucester said fishermen were seeing plenty of bait and different sizes of fish on the northwest corner of Stellwagen.

But after the first slug of fish, the weather turned windy and stirred up choppy seas all along the coast of New England, making it difficult for boats to get out.

Click here for full story