IGFA approves 405 pounder world-record yellowfin tuna

IGFA president Rob Kramer has made it official on Monday, that Angler Mike Livingston's 405.2-pound yellowfin caught on Capt. Mike Lackey’s Vagabond on Nov. 30, 2010 is now the all-tackle, world record. The fish shattered what is the most coveted record of all for long-range anglers who take multi-day voyages for big fish on San Diego-based boats. It broke the mark of 388 pounds, 11 ounces set by Curt Wisenhutter on the Royal Polaris on April 1, 1977 at Clarion Island of the Revillagigedo Islands.

The official announcement will be made at at a press conference Thursday at the Vagabond booth at the Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show in Long Beach from Wednesday through Sunday. It also will be at the Fred Hall Show in Del Mar from March 24-27 and at Day at the Docks in Point Loma on Apri 17. Also, the IGFA plans to honor the two Mikes at a reception Friday night when the IGFA will honor new IGFA Chairman of the Board Paxson Offield, the first Californian to be named to that position.

Michael Farrior, an IGFA board member and trustee, said he spoke to IGFA headquarters Monday and that the all-tackle tuna record had been approved. “It’s official,” Farrior said. “There were so many testimonials taken, and everything went great.”

The timing of the announcement couldn’t be better. Lackey needed to rent a box truck to pick up the life-sized mount of the huge tuna Monday at Lyons & O’Haver Taxidermy in La Mesa. Lance Lyons, a world-class artist who won the Breakthrough World Championship for fish carving and painting in 2001, worked overtime to get the mount done. Lackey had offers from other taxidermists who would have done the mount for free, but Lackey paid for the mount to be done by Lyons & O’Haver. Lackey plans to display the mount at his expanded booth at the Fred Hall Show that starts Wednesday at the Long Beach Convention Center and runs to Sunday.

Livingston felt good publicity from the catch, particularly from the East Coast-based Marlin Magazine, may have helped make a better case for his catch. In past years, tuna heavier than Wisenhutter’s were rejected by the IGFA for various reasons such as a deckhand assisted in the catch or an angler rested the rod on the boat’s railing. But this time, the IGFA found no reason to not approve the record coveted by long-range anglers and skippers.

Lackey said he’s really looking forward to sharing the mount with all who attend the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach. It runs Wednesday through Sunday. Lackey was given an extra, adjoining booth at the show in order to fit the giant, life-sized tuna in the space. It is over 50 across from the tip of one sickle to the other, and it’s 94 inches long. Lackey and Livingston will do seminars at the Long Beach Fred Hall Show and talk about the historic catch and special angling techniques aboard the Vagabond that allow anglers on that boat to hook and land the highest percentage of fish per trip.

Lackey also plans on displaying the tuna at the Del Mar Fred Hall Show from March 24-28, and at Day at the Docks on April 17.