"A giant yellowfin tuna, a potential world record possibly worth $1 million, was caught Tuesday off Cabo San Lucas.
Guy Yocom of Dana Point, Calif., landed the behemoth aboard his 61-foot yacht, El Suertudo (The Lucky One), about 180 miles south of the resort city
at Baja California's tip.
Yocom, 55, said in a phone interview that the fish was weighed twice on certified scales. One weight was 421 pounds and the other was 427.5 pounds.
The angler is having the scales delivered to San Diego for calibration to determine an official weight.
Both weights are heavier than the current all-tackle world record, a 405-pound yellowfin caught in 2010 off Magdalena Bay, north of Cabo San Lucas.
That angler was Mike Livingston, who was aboard the San Diego-based long-range vessel Vagabond. Livingston's record broke a record that had stood for
33 years.
Tracy Ehrenberg, who runs Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, was first to break the story about Yocom's catch with quotes and precise details. She
was in touch with Yocom shortly after El Suertudo, skippered by Greg DiStefano, pulled into port Wednesday morning.
Yocom said his group of seven anglers and crew had been targeting huge tuna in the hope of winning a prize in the "Hook a Million" contest offered by
Mustad hook company. The contest, which runs through the end of September, pays $1 million to the angler who sets the first new International Game
Fish Assn. record during the contest window.
Of course, the record still has to be approved but Yocom said his group followed IGFA regulations to the letter. Also, since the $1 million is paid
over a 50-year period, the prestigious all-tackle world record, if approved, is the most rewarding aspect of his catch.
"I didn't realize what a big deal it was till now," he said. "Because I've been getting phone calls from people I haven't heard from in a while,
telling me what a big deal it is."
The fight, on 100-pound-test line, was a surprisingly short 55 minutes. The giant tuna was among several smaller tuna that had been swimming with
dolphins."
Please visit and "like" the Outdoors, Action and Adventure Facebook pagewoody with a view - 9-22-2012 at 06:14 PM
i'll be there in 3 weeks. all i want for Xmas is a 100#er....Bob H - 9-22-2012 at 06:33 PM
A Lucky guy, from Dana Point, CA, on his own 61 foot yacht. Yeah, good for him. He needs another $1million in his bank account. Very nice catch
indeed.
capt. mike - 9-23-2012 at 08:59 AM
this made local news here.
big deal....$20K a year? for 50 yrs??
chances are you die 1st.
needs to be all cash prize at once.
not impressed.
good sushi though. Japanese would pay dearly for that animal, no?Loretana - 9-23-2012 at 09:32 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
this made local news here.
big deal....$20K a year? for 50 yrs??
chances are you die 1st.
needs to be all cash prize at once.
not impressed.
good sushi though. Japanese would pay dearly for that animal, no?
Not as much as you might think, Cap't Mike. This is a yellowfin, and the meat on a fish that large is not going to be the best.
The very highly prized and outrageously costly tuna comes from the Bluefin, and consists of the fatty, buttery "toro" or underbelly which is treated
like gold and usually shipped to Japan.
Not that there is anything wrong with yellowfin, I have surely enjoyed my share! Bob H - 9-23-2012 at 10:09 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
big deal....$20K a year? for 50 yrs??
chances are you die 1st.
I'd take it ! Roll it in to an Roth IRA, etc. Or, take a really nice vacation every year somewhere.
Good plan for the 47%
BajaBruno - 9-23-2012 at 11:35 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Bob H
Quote:
Originally posted by capt. mike
big deal....$20K a year? for 50 yrs??
chances are you die 1st.
I'd take it ! Roll it in to an Roth IRA, etc. Or, take a really nice vacation every year somewhere.
That would work for me, Bob, but for a guy with a 61' Viking sportfisher and a zillion dollar construction company, that $20k won't pay his gas bill.willardguy - 9-23-2012 at 01:08 PM
no question this guy is the real deal, and the scale has been certified so it looks like he's on his way to a world record catch.
I don't care how much dough this man has amassed no one is gonna turn their nose up at a million bucks even if paid over fifty years. add in
endorsements from melton,shimano,yo-zuri,black magic,jerry brown just to name a few, we're talkin a pretty nice payday! not impressed?,I sure am!woody with a view - 9-23-2012 at 01:28 PM
h yeah!