October 18, 2005
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division
of Fish and Wildlife reports that a new state record golden tilefish
was taken from Washington Canyon on July 12. Gary Caputi of Brick
caught the 55-pound golden tilefish weighing more than 3 pounds 14
ounces more than the previous record taken from Wilmington Canyon in
2003.
Caputi was bottom fishing from the charter boat Ugly Mug out of Cape
May. Seas were calm and flat when he caught the record tilefish on
80-pound test line using a cut mackerel strip for bait. The fish
measured 43¾ inches in length with a 32-inch girth.
Interestingly, Caputi’s fishing buddy on that trip was none other
than the previous state golden tilefish record holder who had a
chance to see his own record beaten!
The fish was also certified as a world record, weighing three pounds
more than the previous record in that class. Unfortunately, world
record fame did not last long, as a larger specimen was caught about
a week later off Montauk, New York.
Mr. Caputi is no stranger to saltwater fishing. He is the offshore
editor for the SaltWater Sportsman magazine and was the Governor’s
appointee to the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council for seven
years.
Tilefish inhabit the outer continental shelf waters of the Atlantic
Ocean along much of North America and parts of South America. They
are a colorful species with a blue or olive-green back and yellow or
rose-colored lower sides and belly. The back, sides, and dorsal fin
are covered with yellow spots. They are a slow-growing and long-lived
fish with females living up to 35 years of age and males up to 26
years.
Tilefish are found at depths from 240 to 400 feet. Unlike most
deep-water species that typically congregate over reefs, tilefish
show an affinity for sandy bottoms where they sit in small
indentations or burrows in the ocean floor. During the day they will
usually feed and stay near their primary burrow feeding on an
assortment of crustaceans.See all
New Jersey State Record Fish
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