Pending World Record Tautog Shot in New London, Connecticut
On August 18, spearfisherman Brendan Dyer shot a pending world-record tautog (blackfish) in New London, Connecticut. It weighed in at 25.1 pounds and was 31.75 inches long. Dyer tracked the fish for over an hour before finally getting his shot.
This fish has been submitted to the IUSA committee for voting, which could replace the current record of 23.9 pounds.
Brendan shared the story of his catch via email:
“This fish was taken during a shore dive in New London Connecticut. I was approximately 250 yards from shore on a reef that I have been diving for 20 years. I had been diving for about 2 hours and had seen a ton of fish – big schools of striped bass and probably upwards of 150 blackfish. I was looking for a larger fish, as we had just come off the full moon cycle, and generally I have always gotten my biggest fish during the August full moon.
The visibility was poor but there were random spots/thermoclines that opened up a bit on the bottom. I was lying on the bottom at approx. 20 feet when I saw a massive silhouette on the outer edge of my visibility. It was a very large dark mass, particularly from top to bottom. I thought it might be a large bass, until it quartered away and I saw the profile. For the next hour I tracked this fish, seeing it on maybe a third of my dives, always well out of range. I never got a good look but could see the shadow in the distance.
Finally, when I was getting to the point of exhaustion, I took one last dive. I laid up at a choke point in the reef and remained as still as possible, pinning my fins to the sea floor and trying to focus on relaxing. There were several small tautog darting around over the top of me and a few out in front. Toward the end of my breath hold, the silhouette materialized again. This time, he gave me a better look and I was stunned. I diverted my eyes and tried to stay as still as possible. He came in to check me out tentatively, then quartered away, about 3 to 4 gun lengths from my position on the reef. He was at the edge of my shooting range and visibility, but I knew the shot was makeable.
I extended my gun as slowly as I could and took the shot. It impacted in the head behind the eye. I was approximately 1 inch too high and 1 inch too far forward, but I knew it would hold. The fish immediately sprinted for the rocks and I took off for surface. I kept tension on my reel, but he was able to wedge himself under an overhanging ledge in the reef.
I tried to get my heart rate down on the surface but was struggling due to the adrenaline. After maybe 45 seconds, I took a good breath, went down into the reef and dislodged him from the ledge, placing my hand on the shaft in front of fish. Getting him dislodged was no easy task. As soon as he was free he took off for the surface and then screamed toward the bottom again. This time I was able to stop him with my drag. I worked him to the surface, then bear hugged him. I was concerned at how high the shot was in the head, and thought the whole forehead could tear out. I rolled onto my back with the fish on my torso, and my arms crossed over the fish and began kicking for shore.
When I finally hit the rocks, I immediately knew it was a world record. We got in the truck, wetsuit still on, and got to a scale certified scale ASAP. It was a day I will never forget, and I am honored to have been able to harvest this fish.”
Learn More About Fishing for Tautog
Blackfish is not open in CT until OCT.10.
https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&q=322740&deepNav_GID=1647
thats what you get from this fantastic catch?? really? you think he caught it against the made up rules that really have nothing to do with fish?..poor man
Nothing better do to then comment about incorrect fishing regulations on a great article with an angler that took every step to follow the regulations and rules to preserve and document the catch with state agencies…. What’s wrong with people …head back to the lake David
He’s not an angler. He’s a spear queer
Except that blackfishing is open the entire month of July and August. When was the last time you went togging? The 90’s?
meh, seen bigger
LOL!!!!!
I’m sorry but riding real is the only thing I recognize anybody can go down and pick the one they want. Try spearfishing blind it’s the same thing as fishing for tog from a boat
sure u have
Get your facts straight
Summer season for blackfish is
July 1st through August 31 then again starting October 10
Takes a long time to reach such a size. This fish was probably a breeder. Now we will have less of them for which to catch. There is currently a quota on catching them. Why did he do it?
What an amazing catch. Congrats!!
Congrats brother you deserve it well done! Haters going to hate keep doing your thing brother good work
Had I caught it on rod &reel I would have released it.Pathetic way to get a world record.
This fish took 25 years to grow…What’s the point?
I’m sorry but rod and reel is the only thing I recognize I’m not sure if you will get a world record for your cat maybe in a spear fishing category. Anybody can go down and pick the one they want. Try spearfishing blind what’s the same thing as catching hey monster tog from a boat
welllll, try it and you’l see…
Jeffrey, spearfishing is much harder than you think. I am a hardcore rod and reel guy and had that same mentality until I actually tried spearing a few years back. You need to be in great shape, after five dives I was winded. The fact that this guy spent over a hour chasing this fish is remarkable. Not to mention the water in the north east typically has about 6 inches of visability. So how about you actually try getting your fatass in the water before you chirp this guys amazing feat.. you slob
Couldn’t have said it better. Anyone can try to Spearfish, the guys that excel in that already remarkably limited group are few and far between. Rod and reel guys are just jealous they kill 5 times as many fish while littering the ocean with lead and line to leave with nothing but a good buzz from the shitty budweiser they drink.
Total loser.
You tell him king
???. That’s ridiculous I spearfish and fish rod and reel. It’s not as easy as going down to the bottom and shooting the biggest fish. It’s hunting. I dare you to say the same to any deer hunter. Don’t be so ignorant next time.
awesome fish well done congrats hope record is yours gl
First congratulations on a great fish !!!
It’s so sad that when someone breaks a record on something that people can’t be kind and congratulate but instead pick apart the person. That’s straight up being a poor sportsman and a miserable loser to someone who accomplished something you obviously couldn’t do.
Being both a fisherman and a diver i can tell you now you are so wrong about divers can just go down and pick one out and shoot it. This moron who said that is neither a diver or a sportsman because as a diver he’d know you can’t just go pick out a world record and shoot it and your not a sportsman because you’d rather knock someone down who has done something you can’t
instead of saying congratulations
Too many negative, miserable, people out there claiming to be sportsman.
Again congratulations Brendan
Spearfishing is not the same as FISHING!!! You see what you want and get it…not a sporting way to get fish…try rod and reel fishing for that big one(blind fishing)..just my two cents…I have been beach, boat fishing all my life and still have not that “monster fish”””
You also haven’t dove to depths of 40ft plus, on one breath, in murk, and sat patiently while hunting the same grounds whites do. No, you can’t pick the fish you catch rod and reeling, but what actual effort are you putting into boating the fish you do hook up to? Making sure you don’t drop your sandwich while setting the hook?
Couldn’t agree more Tim, Robert is most likely morbidly obese and has no idea what he is talking about. I love rod and reel fishing but I respect how difficult spearing is
Congrats ! That’s a TOGHOG ! Don’t listen to negative comments, just jealous ! Surprised no one commenting that this fish is lucky to be alive in the waters where supposedly caught with all the draggers out there scraping the bottom with their nets !!!!
I understand the excitement of a big fish like this one but IF I ever caught one that big Id send it back… after a few pics for the non believers. Congrats on your catch.
A huge fish,no doubt.I was under the impression that records on fish were only determined by hook and line methods..What`s the purpose of spearing a breeder fish? I don`t think it`ll taste very good on the plate. If any method can be used to establish records why aren`t commercial netters eligible also?
Spearfishing world record.
Fantastic Fish and a great story and details about how you got it thank you for the Thrill I’m a boat fisherman myself but anytime you can score a possible world record you must give it a shot if not for yourself for the sport alone. And anyone who disagrees is not a sportsman congratulations my friend.
was gonna ask the same issue, out of season??
Beautiful fish,IMO, probably came in early to spawn. I have mixed feelings on the catch. Still a great land..congrats!
Always junk one sided comments from the rod and reel guys. I do both. Freedive spearfishing is way harder. Not to mention the most sustainable form of fishing. Spearfishermen kill way less fish. The only fish harmed is the one they decide to take. No shorts flopping on a deck, dock or drug through sand. No gut hooked fish. No lead or line ridleing the ocean floor. You guys have zero clue how hard it is to take a breath and dive 20 to 50 ft in murk water and hunt fish. They dont just swim up to you unless you are stealthy. Try it and get back to us.
Congrats man! It’s pretty hilarious watching all these rod&reelers ripping on spearfishing acting as if its easy. Actually lol’d at the guy who said spearfishers should blindfold themselves to be on par with rod&reel.
Congrats again dude, keep it up.
Great fish great shot would have been greater if it was caught on rod and reel.
Brendan is a solid sportsman who obeyed all the rules. We dive in some of the most dangerous waters in the world here in the North East. Unless you’re willing to jump into the frigid, bad-viz, crazy current water… then I suggest you shut it until you have something tangible to say from experience. Rod and Reel or Spearing are both legal… yet spearing is scrutinized more and there are many more rules for spearing than Rod and Reel fishing. Put down the beer, sandwiches and cigarettes and jump in the water and dive 60 feet on a breath hold, shoot a fish, wrestle it to the boat and do that over and over again all day long… then maybe I’ll accept your petty tirades. Until then STFU.
Nothing but jealousy, overweight physically decrepit haters who struggle to walk down the boat ramp lecturing on how easy spearfishing is. Dropping a line is in no way more honorable than risking your life for the chance at harvesting a fish.
well this was a heated comment section for sure “spear Queers” “pathetic way to get a world record” wow this was intense
you sound so dumb. I do both and I can promise you spearfishing is harder and better for fish. I still love rod and reel and the feeling of the tug on the line is amazing but I challenge you to try diving/spearfishing. You won’t last.
Blackfish are usually taken by spear, but the really big ones tend to be extremely wary and difficult to approach – they didn’t get big by being stupid! Hunting them is worth the effort, the flesh is firm and white, is excellent fried, baked, or in chowder.
Nice fish!
I’m 62 years old, still can hold my breath on a free dive, the key word is to relax, and exhail a little at a time. It’s not easy, nice Tog…
Let’s not disparage overweight, out-of-shape beer-drinking anglers. That describes a lot of my good friends, and at times me. Spearfishing can be hard and it can be easy, so can angling. Everyone who follows the law is ok. Good people fish and drink bud heavy, good people spearfish and are overweight also sometimes, many of us are all of these descriptions – we eat our tautog and love it. It’s okay – just follow catch creel season limits we can all be respectful of all beers.
It was aged at 13 years old