Yellowfin World Tuna Record Nearing 30 Yearsff

The all-tackle world-record yellowfin tuna hangs on the wall at Fisherman’s Landing, acting as a reminder of the ultimate catch for long-range anglers.
 

The 388-pounder was caught by Curt Wiesenhutter aboard the Royal Polaris at San Benedicto Island south of Baja.

The record will become 30 years old on April 1, if it isn’t broken before then, which appears unlikely based on the recent slowdown on 300-pounders.

By New Year’s, the long-range fleet had totaled 15 tuna 300 pounds or bigger, but the catch slowed dramatically through January. The biggest of the season is a 356-pounder, prompting recent talk about the world record.

”It’s surprising the thing has lasted as long as it has, as far as a record,” Wiesenhutter said by phone from his home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. “That’s a long time.”

A few bigger tuna have been landed over the years, but none was a legal catch under the rules of the International Game Fish Association.

Wiesenhutter, 64, remembered catching the record in “about two minutes,” which has to be some kind of record, too. He said it was one of those fish that just hung around the boat.

It was 10 p.m. While other anglers slept, Wiesenhutter and another angler fished. The fish he hooked ran 100 yards before the line went slack.

”I figured a shark bit through the leader,” he said.

Then he saw the big tuna go under the boat. He reeled in the slack line and the battle started anew.

He informed skipper Bill Poole he hooked a big tuna, which was now on the other side of the boat.

”I run to the other side and here’s this submarine cruising back and forth on the surface chasing flying fish, and he doesn't even know he’s hooked,” Poole recalled.

Wiesenhutter, using 80-pound test, remarkably got the fish to the boat pretty quickly, but extra help was needed to land it.

Poole gaffed the fish, the other angler gaffed the fish and Wiesenhutter put his rod down and he gaffed the fish.

”We couldn't get it on the boat,” Wiesenhutter said. “We were yelling for help, (but) they just thought it was a water fight because of April Fool’s.”

Poole finally yelled at crewmember Steve Loomis, “It’s no joke, if you don’t get down here you’re fired.”

Two deckhands joined in and finally the fish was hoisted up over the rail.

”I knew it was a big fish, but I had no clue how big it was,” Wiesenhutter said. “Back in those days, a 100-pound tuna was a big one.”

Poole figured it weighed 400 pounds and probably did before drying out and losing weight in the fish hold.

Today, the fish remains not only an all-tackle world record but a line-class world record for 80-pound test.

”That was quite a feat,” Poole said. “The record was held for all these years.”

And might be for several more.