Fishing

An Angler Catches a Monster Tuna and Potential World Record at 443 Pounds

Angler Earl Gill IV hooks a monster yellowfin tuna that could smash the current world record.

Ken Baldwin

The pending world record yellowfin tuna caught by Earl Gill (Center) weighing in at 443 pounds.
The pending world record yellowfin tuna caught by Earl Gill (Center) weighing in at 443 pounds. / photo provided by Okuma

A New World Record?

On November 11, 2024, angler Earl Gill IV hooked a monster Pacific yellowfin tuna while fishing aboard the Excel, captained by Justin Fleck, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Gill's catch weighed in at 448 pounds, smashing the current IGFA all-tackle world record of 427 pounds, set by Guy Yocom in 2012. At the time of this writing, the record is pending approval by the IGFA.

New potential 448lb world record yellowfin tuna caught aboard @excelsportfishing ! Veteran Long-Ranger Earl Gill landed this incredible fish after years of fishing the lower banks. Huge congratulations to Earl and the crew! video by @pelagicgear . . . . . . . . . . . . #BDOutdoors #bdoutdoorsdotcom #bloodydecks #offshorefishing #socal #fisherman #anglers #yellowfin #tuna #yellowfintuna #tunafishing #ahi

Posted by BD Outdoors on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

The Fight

Captain Fleck had his anglers on a school of big tuna when Gill hooked into his fish. He was fishing with chunk bait on a 4/0 circle hook, tied to a 100-pound fluorocarbon leader and 100-pound braid line. His reel was an Okuma Makaira level drag.

The yellowfin took Gill's bait and started ripping line. Gill knew right away this fish was different. He raced to the bow of the boat to gain some control, but line was quickly disappearing off his reel. He was standing up with his rod in a shoulder harness. Gill couldn't use the rail for leverage, or get any help from the crew, as that would disqualify the catch as a world record. He had to rely on his own strength to bring the fish in.

An hour into the fight the tuna stopped moving. Captain Justin Fleck pulled anchor to try and get the fish to move again. With the boat positioned above the yellowtail, Gill got to work. At some point, he couldn't feel the tail beating anymore. The crew wondered if he had hooked something other than a tuna. It turned out the fish had died during the fight, and Gill had to reel in pure dead weight of over 400 pounds.

A Long Wait

Mission accomplished. The fish was brought on board and weighed 448 pounds – 21 pounds heavier than the current world record. But the Excel was only halfway through its trip. With other paying fishermen onboard, the charter was obligated to do its promised 10 days. Gill's tuna was stored in a freezer until they returned to port. It was sure to lose some weight during that time.

The Okuma Reel

The giant yellowfin was caught using Okuma's flagship Makaira Black model. This reel has a reputation for toughness and power, built for exactly this kind of epic battle. The Makaira might just go down as the reel that helped land the largest yellowfin tuna ever caught on rod and reel.

The Makaira has been around since 2010 and is a favorite with serious saltwater anglers. It's designed for demanding situations and targeting large fish. The two-speed gearing system provides both high speed for quick retrieves and low speed for powerful cranking. That extra torque in low gear was a key factor in landing this monster tuna.

The Official Weight

Five days later Earl's yellowfin tuna was weighed and came in at an official 443 pounds. It seems to have lost weight during the trip, but still weighed 16 pounds heavier than the current world record.

Opportunity Meets Preparation

An angler stands next to his pending world record yellowfin tuna. He is holding his fishing rod and Okuma reel in his hand.
Skill, preparation, and quality gear made this happen. / photo provided by Okuma

Serious saltwater anglers invest a lot of time and money in trips, gear, and knowledge. Gill didn't land that fish because he was lucky, Captain Fleck knew where to find the tuna, and the Okuma Makaira is built with high-quality materials and design. A big tuna will test you to your limits. If there's any weakness in your equipment, technique, or judgement, the fish will exploit it. Earl Gill, Captain Fleck, and Okuma all did their job, and now we have a pending IGFA world record for the books. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

Published |Modified
Ken Baldwin
KEN BALDWIN

Ken Baldwin's career in fishing and the outdoors started twenty-two years ago. For twenty of those years he guided anglers in remote Alaska. Along with his work as a guide, he created a TV show called Season on the Edge, which aired on NBC Sports, worked on the nature documentary Our Planet 2, for Netflix, specialized in photographing the Alaskan brown bear, and has published his photographs and writing in several magazines. Ken Baldwin is a graduate from the University of Washington.

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