Gone Fishing - New World Record Yellowfin Tuna Catch

Mike Livingston, a retired school administrator from Sunland, California, now has the bragging rights of being a World Record holder. In late 2010, while on a 10 day fishing trip in the San Diego area, Mike and the crew were targeting the ever desired yellowfin tuna, and he reeled up more than he could chew. After a two and a half hour fight, Mike came to the realization that he had a 405.2 pound yellowfin tuna on the end of this rod; and in March, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has named his catch the largest yellowfin tuna ever landed on rod and reel. The only person that can look down on the great accomplishment would be Curt Wiesenhutter, who in 1977 was named the world record holder with his catch of a 388.12 pound yellowfin.

Shown here with his record prize, Mike and the crew can definitely call this a once in a lifetime catch.



Yellowfin tuna have always been targeted not only for their immense size and tremendous fight, but also for their prized meat. Known most famously for their sashimi grade meat, these warm-water dwellers are considered one of the most challenging species of fish to catch with a rod and reel. Anglers must be prepared accordingly or can suffer the heartbreak of lost fish and broken tackle.

Found most abundantly in the Tropics, yellowfin tuna can be found throughout the warmer extents of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The majority of the population is found in oceanic habitats within 20° latitude of the equator and typically in waters at least 64° F. However, the warmth of the Gulf Stream allows fish to stray north on the west side of the Atlantic Ocean. As of yet, no yellowfin has been caught on the Continental Shelf above Nantucket Shoals, Massachusetts and the slope canyons off of Georges Bank in the Great South Channel off of the coast of Maine. As such it looks like the Nantucket Shoals and Great South Channel acts as a thermal barrier keeping the yellowfin to roam the warmer waters of the world.

Known at the ‘rose of the sea’ because of their dark red flesh, the yellowfin tuna is one of the most economically important fish in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tons of tuna are taken by commercial fisherman worldwide to sustain the growing human population. At this point many experts consider the yellowfin to be managed at a sustainable rate, while other species of tuna such as the bluefin, bigeye and albacore are being overfished and their populations are dwindling rapidly. Unfortunately, many countries around the world do not practice the rigorous standards that we uphold for our fisheries here in the US. Under the management of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), the yellowfin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean have been assessed to be at full exploitation and are nearing the maximum sustainable yield. Attempts to cap fishing mortality have been put into place by requiring minimum size limits and fishing practices. To preserve these amazing species for later generations, it is up to us to practice sustainable fishing and be aware of our impact on the world around us. There are many organizations worldwide that focus solely on the conservation of wildlife and giving our children and grandchildren the same wonders that we experience today.

This map depicts the generalized region in which you can find yellowfin tuna around the world. (Map source: Florida Museum of Natural History)



Painting of yellowfin tuna by the world famous marine artist Guy Harvey.




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