Multiple 400-500 lb Bluefin Caught Off Outer Banks, Manteo in Late February

Local charters and captains working the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina reported a strong late‑winter bluefin bite during the week of February 23–25, 2026, with several fish estimated in the 400–500 lb cored-weight range. The pattern included a high‑profile hookup on February 24, when Virginia angler Josiah VanFleet and his party fought a giant tuna about 45 miles off Nags Head.

VanFleet’s party of four aboard a 22-foot Grady White hooked the fish at around 8:15 AM on February 24. VanFleet later recounted the ordeal: "Once VanFleet and his crew hooked the fish around 8:15 AM, getting it reeled in was no easy task. In fact, they documented the whole ordeal on video which will give you just a small idea of the arduous process of reeling in something that size! According to VanFleet, it took over 2 hours and four crew members aboard their 22-foot Grady White boat to reel the giant tuna in close enough to harpoon it. At one point, the reel even required a quick fix leaving the fisherman with no other choice than to momentarily hold the line by hand. One the crew got the tuna to the boat, it took another 2 hours to figure out how to get it on board and tow it back to shore."

Charter operators named by local trip listings and tourism partners include Fishin' Fannatic Charters, Rock Solid Fishing Charters, and Wanchese Marina Fishing Charters; crews in the area also pointed to larger fleet activity tied to boats like Fishin' Frenzy. Captain Greg Mayer, a 30‑year veteran who moved to the Outer Banks in 1991 and became captain of Fishin' Frenzy in 1999, is a four-time regional champion and a familiar face in the fleet that pursues high-value bluefin. Those industry ties help explain why big tuna, prized in markets and for sushi-grade product, draw concentrated effort offshore this time of year.

The region has seen unusual bluefin activity before; beginning the morning of March 31, 2025, anglers at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head reported hooking multiple bluefin inside the surf zone, with video showing spinning reels screaming and rods doubled over and one angler, Greg Allen, hooking up twice that day. That inshore precedent highlights how February’s offshore push fits a broader pattern of unpredictable bluefin movements along the OBX.

Regulatory context remains critical: Atlantic bluefin can reach up to 1,500 pounds, with many commercial fish roughly half that size, and North Carolina classifies bluefin as a Highly Migratory Species subject to strict bag and size limits. VanFleet’s crew documented their February 24 fight on video and supplied a still labeled vanfleet-tuna-catch.jpeg, but published scale tickets or dock weights for that fish have not been provided; charter reports citing 400–500 lb cored-weight remain claims to be verified with scale slips and captain logs.