Corey Schultz, of Waverly, Va., caught the fish Saturday, March 12, aboard the Sea Breeze out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. The fish weighed 805 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 112 inches curved fork length with a 76-inch girth, according to a N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries news release.

Schultz caught the fish on a Shimano 80 rod and reel using 130 line test with ballyhoo for bait.

“It was all that rod and reel wanted, I can tell you that,” Schultz said via the release.

Schultz had caught a 350-pound tuna with the same captain – Ned Ashby – last year and released the catch.

What was different this year was the 80-wide reel, rather than the 50-wide he used last year.

Schultz told officials he fought the fish for about 2.5hours and had close to 1,000 yards of line out. Everyone in the boat’s party of six, in addition to the captain and mate, helped to get the fish on board.

“It was an unforgettable experience, that’s for sure,” Schultz said.

According to the division, the former North Carolina state record bluefin tuna weighed 744 pounds and was caught off Oregon Inlet in 1995. The International Game Fish Association record bluefin tuna weighed 1,496 pounds and was caught off Nova Scotia in 1979.