Retired Army general catches 877-pound bluefin tuna off North Carolina coast

(WCMH) — A retired army general has set a new North Carolina record for bluefin tuna.

Ret. Gen. Scott Chambers, of Townsend, reeled in an 877-pound bluefin tuna March 17, according to North Carolina state officials.

That’s one giant fish. It measured 113 inches curved fork length and had a girth of 79 inches.

According to state officials, he caught the fish using trolling dead bait on 130-pound line test on a 130 Shimano rod and reel aboard the charter boat A-Salt Weapon fishing out of Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo.

The previous state record was smashed by 72 pounds. That fish was caught off Oregon Inlet, as well, in 2011. The world all-tackle record bluefin tuna was 1,496 pounds and was caught off Nova Scotia in 1979.