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Angler Brandon McGirl and Capt. Jamie Savage caught and weighed a 1,116-pound bluefin tuna off New Hampshire on Oct. 3. It exceeded the state’s 962-pound record, but Savage says fisheries officials told him the catch does not qualify because it was hooked outside state waters.
Angler Brandon McGirl and Capt. Jamie Savage caught a 1,116-pound bluefin tuna off the New Hampshire coast on Oct. 3, but the fish will not count as a state record because it was hooked outside state waters, Savage told Outdoor Life. The tuna was weighed at Rye Harbor and exceeded New Hampshire’s existing 962-pound record by 154 pounds.
Savage and McGirl left Rye Harbor on the night of Oct. 2 aboard Savage’s 36-foot boat, Out Of Line. They fished roughly 10 miles offshore, setting live squid baits at different depths. After an overnight stretch that produced two large sharks but no tuna, a fish took a bait at about 7 p.m. on Oct. 3, Savage told Outdoor Life.
The tuna made a long run, taking about 800 yards of line, and the anglers pursued it for around 20 minutes before the fish stopped. McGirl then reeled it toward the boat. Savage said the fight took place in darkness in an area with lobster-trap lines that could have snagged or cut their fishing line. He maneuvered the boat to keep the tuna clear of a trap line, and later gaffed the fish near the stern.
Savage could not haul the tuna aboard with the anchor winch he uses for large fish, so the crew secured it to the stern and brought it back to Rye Harbor. At the marina, a heavy-duty hoist lifted the tuna for weighing. Outdoor Life reported measurements of 1,116 pounds, 114 inches long and 90 inches in girth. Savage said the winch had previously handled tuna weighing as much as 800 pounds, but could not lift this fish.
Why the Catch Misses the Record
The catch highlights that a fish’s weight alone does not determine whether it qualifies for a state record. According to Savage’s account of his discussions with New Hampshire fisheries officials, a qualifying fish must be hooked, fought and landed in state waters. The tuna was caught just beyond the state-water boundary, he said, so its size does not make it eligible for the New Hampshire record.
The distinction matters because the fish was 154 pounds heavier than the current state mark, set by a 962-pound bluefin caught by Richard Green in 2013 in the Gulf of Maine. The reported weight makes McGirl’s catch an unusually large local catch, but it does not change the official state record under the rule Savage described. The article does not establish whether the fish qualifies for any other record category.
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New Hampshire’s Existing Tuna Mark
New Hampshire’s recorded bluefin record is a 962-pound fish caught in 2013 by Richard Green in the Gulf of Maine, according to Outdoor Life. Early reports about McGirl’s tuna suggested it might set a new state mark. Savage later said he had spoken with state fisheries staff and learned that the location where a fish is hooked, fought and landed determines whether it can qualify.
Savage is a tuna captain with 18 years of experience, according to the report. He said the catch happened outside the nine-mile range of state waters. The tuna was then brought to Rye Harbor for weighing; its arrival and weighing in New Hampshire did not, in Savage’s account, satisfy the location requirement.
“We ran 10 miles offshore and set up three staggered-depth live squid baits and started fishing after midnight.”
— Capt. Jamie Savage, speaking to Outdoor Life
Record Eligibility Beyond the State
The report does not identify an official state agency statement or published record ruling on the catch; the explanation of the rule and its application comes from Savage’s account of his conversations with fisheries officials. It also does not specify whether the tuna has been submitted for review under a different record program or whether a formal measurement and weight certification has been issued.
The catch location is described by Savage as just outside the nine-mile boundary for state waters. The source does not provide coordinates or an independent determination of the precise location. It also does not report the tuna’s eventual disposition or provide further details about how its weight was certified.
Whether Any Record Review Follows
The immediate next step, if the anglers seek recognition in another category, would be to establish which record rules apply and whether the catch meets them. The available report does not say that Savage or McGirl has filed an application, nor does it identify a pending review. For the New Hampshire state mark, Savage’s account indicates the fish is ineligible because it was caught outside state waters.
Until a relevant record body publishes a ruling or the anglers provide further documentation, the confirmed details remain the reported catch, its measurements and the location-based reason Savage gave for the state-record exclusion. New Hampshire’s listed record remains 962 pounds, according to the source report.
Key Questions
How much did the bluefin tuna weigh?
The tuna weighed 1,116 pounds when it was hoisted and weighed at Rye Harbor, according to Outdoor Life.
Why did it not set a New Hampshire record?
Savage said state fisheries officials told him that a fish must be hooked, fought and landed in state waters to qualify. He said this tuna was hooked just outside the nine-mile range of state waters.
What is New Hampshire’s current bluefin tuna record?
The current record cited by Outdoor Life is 962 pounds, from a fish caught by Richard Green in the Gulf of Maine in 2013.
Where and when was the tuna caught?
McGirl and Savage caught it off the New Hampshire coast on Oct. 3, 2026. Savage said it was about 10 miles offshore, outside state waters.
How large was the tuna besides its weight?
Outdoor Life reported that the fish measured 114 inches long and had a 90-inch girth.
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