Source: San Diego Union Tribune
Pending approval by theInternational Game Fish Association, Mike Livingston’s 405.2-pound yellowfin tuna caught Nov. 30 on Capt. Mike Lackey's 80-foot sport boat, the Vagabond, will be the IGFA’s new all-tackle, world record. The previous record was the 388-pound, 12-ounce yellowfin caught April 1, 1977 by Curt Wiesenhutter aboard the Royal Polaris, owned then by Capt. Bill Poole.
Even if it’s not approved by the IGFA, Livingston’s tuna, which was weighed in at Point Loma Sportfishing on Monday, is the largest ever landed on rod and reel.
“This is a fish of a lifetime for Mike, for our crew, for me and the entire fleet, really,” said Capt. Lackey after the giant yellowfin was weighed in on Point Loma Sportfishing’s certified scale that was checked on Dec. 2 for certification. “When I think of all the captains like Bill Poole, Frank LoPreste and all the others who paid their dues down here, it’s just an honor to be part of catching such an incredible specimen. The whole fleet shares in this. I’m still in awe of this fish. It just sets the bar that much higher.”
Livingston, 63, of Sunland, Calif., north of Los Angeles, is a long-time angler who retired recently as a school superintendent. He called the fish “a fish of a lifetime,” and thanked Lackey and the crew for the job they did.
“It was my moment, my time,” Livingston said. “I’m certainly not the best angler, but I had enough skill to reel this one in. It was just my day.”
“That was a great moment,” Livingston said. “Mike honored all of the captains who have gone after this record through the years. Mike’s a great captain, a humble guy, great guy.”
Lackey said the giant yellowfin was caught last Tuesday at mid-day.
“Mike was one of the fortunate ones to get bit, and the fight was on,” Lackey said. “He fought it for 2 hours and 40 minutes, and we were fortunate to get a gaff in it.”
Livingston’s previous big fish was a 100-pound yellowfin, but he said the fact he never fought a giant yellowfin may have helped him. He said his mission was to catch a fish over 200 pounds, but he never dreamt of catching one over 400 pounds.
“I listened to the crew and took instructions,” Livingston said. “Someone asked me if it felt like 2½ hours, and I said it really didn’t. It felt like 45 minutes, really. It was cool. I just leaned back in that harness and took what the fish gave me. I didn’t even break out into a sweat. I didn’t have to put the reel into second gear until the last 45 minutes of the fight”.
Livingston, 63, of Sunland, Calif., north of Los Angeles, is a long-time angler who retired recently as a school superintendent. He called the fish “a fish of a lifetime,” and thanked Lackey and the crew for the job they did.
“It was my moment, my time,” Livingston said. “I’m certainly not the best angler, but I had enough skill to reel this one in. It was just my day.”
“That was a great moment,” Livingston said. “Mike honored all of the captains who have gone after this record through the years. Mike’s a great captain, a humble guy, great guy.”
Lackey said the giant yellowfin was caught last Tuesday at mid-day.
“Mike was one of the fortunate ones to get bit, and the fight was on,” Lackey said. “He fought it for 2 hours and 40 minutes, and we were fortunate to get a gaff in it.”
Livingston’s previous big fish was a 100-pound yellowfin, but he said the fact he never fought a giant yellowfin may have helped him. He said his mission was to catch a fish over 200 pounds, but he never dreamt of catching one over 400 pounds.
“I listened to the crew and took instructions,” Livingston said. “Someone asked me if it felt like 2½ hours, and I said it really didn’t. It felt like 45 minutes, really. It was cool. I just leaned back in that harness and took what the fish gave me. I didn’t even break out into a sweat. I didn’t have to put the reel into second gear until the last 45 minutes of the fight”.
Livingston’s tuna not only is the largest ever landed by an angler, but it also is the largest ever caught without any back-up reels or assistance from the crew. The IGFA’s strict angling rules usually trip up potential record fish caught by anglers on San Diego-based sport boats. But Lackey believes Livingston’s tuna will pass the test and be the new yellowfin king.
Jack Vitek, records coordinator for the IGFA, said the Florida-based clearinghouse for freshwater and saltwater fishing records is looking forward to seeing the application for the record. Livingston said he left the rod and reel with Lackey, who will handle the application.
“We started hearing about this fish before it even hit the dock,” Vitek said. “We haven’t received anything yet, but we already have seen pictures, and it looks spectacular, just a heckuva fish.”
Vitek said since the fish was caught in Mexican waters it will take at least 90 days to approve it as a record. Generally, all-tackle records with such notoriety get examined longer.
Livingston used 100-pound test Soft Steel Ultra line that he tied straight to a 9/0 Owner Super Mutu hook. He baited a sardine.
“I normally try and get the biggest sardine, but this one was a medium-sized one,” Vitek said.
He used a Penn International 30W reel that was upgraded by Cal Sheets attached to a 5½-foot rod that he custom-wrapped himself.
“I picked up the blank for $20 at the Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show and wrapped it myself,” he said. “It was just a little no-name rod, and to think that after all these years I’d catch a fish of a lifetime on a no-name rod.”
Livingston said he wasn’t sure if his reel’s backing line was 100- or 80-pound test. The IGFA requires a sample of the line used and rigging.
“We’ve saved everything from the catch,” Lackey said. Also, the fish will be preserved by Lyons & O’Haver.
It has been a season of big fish for the San Diego sport fleet. The 1992-93 season produced four yellowfin over 350 pounds. This season already has turned up three over 345 pounds, and it’s only December.
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