It was a wild day on June 19 for adventurous offshore fisherman Matt Ringott when he caught what he says is “the largest tuna ever landed on a jet ski in New Zealand”. During his 90-minute battle with the more than 220-pound bluefin, Ringotte dealt with rough water, fought muscle spasms and fended off a mako shark.
“It just took the tail off, which basically shut off the fish’s motor,” Ringotte told reporters about his encounter with the tax man. “Without sharks, I don’t think I would have ever caught fish.”
Ringott also thanked his fishing partner, Brady Smith, as well as the two boats that assisted him, as the fish was too large for him and his friend to take aboard the Sea Doo.
Bluefin tuna over 100kg caught on jet ski – attacked by shark during fight
Ringot recorded and shared video of the catch a highlight reel On his YouTube channel, French Adrift. The teaser clip shows some of the key moments of their fight, including the hook-up, their tug-of-war with the shark and the moment of joy when two boats came to help them land the trophy tuna.
“There’s no way I could have done it myself,” he said in an interview with CNN. 1news.
According to Ringott’s video description, he and Smith were fishing near each other near Waihau Bay when he hooked a bluefin. Smith would spend the next 90 minutes shadowing his friend as the big tuna pulled him around, the swell increasing and conditions worsening. However, the real conflict came when a mako shark joined the party.
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Ringotte writes, “I brought the fish in with the skis three separate times, only to have it go back into deeper water each time.” “On the fourth attempt, a mako shark suddenly bit into the tuna.”
With his rod stuck in the fighting harness, Ringot felt the mako tear off the tuna’s tail, suddenly making the fish much easier to land. But when he floated the tuna to the surface of the water and decapitated it, he said the shark came back at the fish “like a dog with its toy.”
After another brief tug of war, the shark released its grip but continued to circle the two fishermen, who were now finding it impossible to pull the heavy tuna out of the water and onto Ringotte’s jet ski. So, they got on the radio and called for help.
One of the captains who responded to their call wrote, “We ran into these two who had just landed a very impressive bluefin tuna.” a facebook post. “The problem was that it was too big to get on his skis and a fair-sized mako was already circling his ‘ship’ after taxing the bottom half of his catch.
“Pictures don’t do it justice,” the captain’s post continues. “Important trip guys, glad to help.”
