Each fish Kevin Goldberg catches is just as exciting as the last.
Cecilia Levine
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The 51-year-old Hillsborough attorney has caught thousands of fish of a wide array of species, having been angling since he was just a kid with his dad.And each time feels like the first.
"It’s a good feeling, it’s the best feeling," he said, "and it doesn’t go away no matter how many fish you catch."
But the bluefin tuna that Goldberg reeled in with his mateMike Resetar on Saturday, April 20 was unlike anything he's experienced on the water before.
We're talking 718 pounds, 112 inches, and the first trophy tuna caught off the New Jersey coast this season.
"My mouth dropped and I couldn’t believe my eyes," said Goldberg. "And I’m someone who has seen these fish many times, but not this size."
And it's not even bluefin season yet.
Friday, April 19 was far from a banner day for Goldberg, who'd gone out looking for striped bass and come back with only a handful. He had plans to go back out for the same the very next day with Resetar, a plumber, but in an attempt to avoid further disappointment, they made a quick change of plans.
Goldberg had heard murmurs of other fishermen in the area having spotted giant bluefins, so — despite bluefin season beginning in May or June — Goldberg and Resatar took their chances.
Saturday was foggy and it was rainy, but Goldberg and Resetar were determined to make something of it. They headed out to sea and had their lines in the water at 9 a.m., about 10 miles northeast of Manasquan. Thirty-five minutes later, they had a bite.
A big bite.
"We knew it was a bluefin just by the rhapsody of which it hit the line," Goldberg said. "And we knew it was a large fish."
And so began the four-hour fight. Two guys, one 718-pound fish, pure muscle. Goldberg and Resetar switched on the line many, many times, and had a close call with a nearby tugboat that narrowly missed cutting the line. At numerous points in the struggle, Goldberg wanted to give up.
"We were completely exhausted to the point we had to get a Gatorade just to hydrate," he said. "We were down to the backing of the reel — 100 yards of lining."
He waited for the fish to tire itself out before giving more line. Again, and again, and again.
"The most difficult part of this fishery is the techniques to tackle," he said. "It's the only fishery that will test every single part of the process.Every line needs to be crimped right, and tied right. And every bait needs to be prepared correctly. If you're using an improper technique, you're guaranteedto lose the fish."
It's happened to Goldberg plenty. Not this time.
Sometime around 1:30 p.m., the bluefin tired himself out enough for Resetar and Goldberg to harpoon him, and tie him to the side of the 39-foot fishing boat. They towed him in 10 or 11 miles to a yacht club in Manasquan, where nearly 100 people had gathered to watch the show.
"Half the fish was still in the water and we didn't have a true sense of how big it was until we got to the weigh-in dock," Goldberg said. "They hoisted the fish up and that was the first time anyone saw it."
Goldberg says it's a record for him. The closest he's ever caught was a 400-pounder last year.
"When I pulled up I had the right side of the boat facing the dock but the fish was secured on the left side of the boat, so no one can see any part of the fish," Goldberg said. "We kind of shimmied the fish around to the front and then they hoisted it up on a weigh scale.
"I can't even explain my reaction or Mike's reaction. We were just incredibly ecstatic. This is what our goal is."
When Goldberg sets out to sea, he doesn't aim for a 700-pound fish, but he does want a trophy fish. And because of regulation, he's only allowed one per season.
"It's the happiest fishing moment for us."
Their smiles say it all.
And then, Goldberg's second-favorite part of the process happens: He gets to give it out.
"I do have a commercial permit to sell these fish but can’t until June 1," he said. "So as I do with many of my catches, I clean it, cut it process it, and I give it to family, friends, and a heck of a lot of local restaurants.
Like Cafe Piazza and Bella Hillsborough, to name just a couple.
"The best part is not the gratuitous nature of it but everyone sending me pictures of the sushi they made, the tuna steaks," Goldberg continued. "So many pictures from restaurants or stuff that people made for their kids, or family. There is no better feeling than that."
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