Fishing: Gold star bluefins

Eric Morman (left) and Graeme Hunter have record claims in for bluefin tuna taken off Greymouth.

Off Greymouth, the good spell of fine weather allowed some Auckland anglers to land five giant Pacific bluefin tuna, one of which may be a world record.

Eric Morman took three-and-a-half hours to land a 277kg fish on 60kg gear. His fish is 9kg heavier than that caught by Nelson angler Michael Hayes from the same boat, Cerveza II, a fortnight ago. Another of the party, Scott Stonex, landed a 272.2kg fish after four-and-a-half hours' stand-up on 60kg gear.

Graeme Hunter will claim a New Zealand record for a 215kg fish caught on 37kg gear stand-up. Two more Pacific blues of 193kg and 167kg were also caught in the Hokitika Trench off Greymouth.

The livers of the fish are being tested. If confirmed to be Pacifics rather than northern bluefin, record claims will be made through the International Game Fishing Association in Florida.

The hoki season is all but over so the tuna season will be too, as the big fish travel south attracted by the catch spilling from the nets of the factory ships. The tuna throw themselves at the nets as they are being hauled from the water, while the new charter operators work nearby either by towing lures or by cubing - throwing lots of cut baits out, some with hooks in them.

It's reported that free-divers have been off Greymouth too trying to spear the big fish.