North Carolina angler Earl Gill IV was amongst a gaggle of 26 fishermen having enjoyable with a 10-day, long-range fishing journey aboard the “Excel” boat in mid-November. The 124-foot boat run by veteran Captain Justin Fleck is renowned for catching oversize tuna, amongst completely different species, Nonetheless when Gill hooked an significantly huge, and deep-running tuna whereas “chunk” fishing, all the crew took uncover.
Gill was fishing in 150 ft of water on Nov. 11 when he hooked the fish. He fought the tuna from the boat’s stern using a rail-style rod with an Okuma Makaira 20 lever drag 2-speed reel, spooled with 100-pound-test line. After a dogged and tiring battle that almost took all line from his Okuma reel, Gill labored the tuna to the ground, and it was lastly hauled aboard the Excel.
The boat’s scale said the fish weighed 448 kilos, which could shatter the IGFA all-tackle report of 417 kilos. Nonetheless, the Excel was solely midway through its scheduled 10-day journey. So, the tuna wanted to be refrigerated, which completely introduced on it to lose some kilos sooner than it may probably be formally weighed ashore on licensed scales.
Capt. Fleck posted regarding the catch on the Excel Fb net web page as a result of the boat headed once more to San Diego.
“There have solely been 4 completely different yellowfin tuna weighing 400-plus kilos caught on rod and reel,” he wrote. “It is an unbelievable achievement. Every so often, we’re astonished by the sheer measurement of a catch, and we’re thrilled for Earl to reel inside the fish of a lifetime and would possibly’t wait to see if it items a model new IGFA report.”
Jason Gross is supervisor for the Excel fishing boat and witnessed the fish weighing on shore.
“On licensed land-based scales, Earl’s yellowfin weighed 443-pounds,” Gross tells Outdoor Life. “It was a selected fish for sure, measuring 84-inches prolonged, with a 66-inch girth.”
Gross says after weighing and measuring, the tuna was taken to a meals processor, as yellowfins are prized desk fare. He says Gill is working through customary IGFA paperwork to submit his catch as a report back to the Florida-based group.
If licensed by the IGFA, it may crush the current all-tackle report for yellowfin tuna. That fish weighed 427 kilos and was caught off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2012 by angler Man Yocom. Some questions have been raised about Gill’s catch as a result of size of the long-range journey and the type out used. Gross, nonetheless, says that Gill owns the type out he used. Moreover, his father (who moreover was on the boat), is a long-time veteran and expert “Excel” angler.
Captain Jeremiah Sapp, who was a crew member aboard the Excel when Gill caught his tuna, tales that the angler solely used a shoulder harness to battle the yellowfin and by no means the boat “rail” for leverage. That’s an essential aspect to make sure that the catch to be IGFA eligible. Using a ship rail for assist would disqualify the catch for IGFA inclusion. A shoulder harness is IGFA authorised.
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It seems potential that Gill’s catch will be authorised by IGFA after the paperwork is scrutinized by the group, which must happen shortly. Gill was stunned by catching such a big yellowfin tuna, with out having to warmth up on smaller ones.
“I really feel loads of points lined as a lot as help me land this fish,” he said.