Pacific Bluefin Tuna World Record

Lynn Salvidge and her husband bruce spent a couple of days in June aboard Bite Me having some fun with the wahoo and Lynn honed her big fish fighting skills taking a W-10kg line class Fiji National Record Pacific Sailfish.
With that record under her belt and the record hunters bug firmly caught she recently decided to have a go at a fish that heavy tackle record hunters dream of landing. The Pacific Bluefin tuna (thunnus orientalis), a fishery recently discovered on the Hokitika Trench off the West side of New Zealands South Island.
Fishing for these monsters is not for the feint hearted. There are only a handful of game boats able to reach these waters. They have to cross dangerous bars outside harbours, make at least a 40 mile run offshore and he weather conditions are nearly always attrocious. Once out on the grounds, game boats find and closely follow one of the huge Hoki factory trwalers that the bluefin follow to scavenge on scraps thrown overboard.

Lyn's trip was no exception. With snow on the grounds, freezing 40-45 knot winds and 3-4 meter swells, the crew fought awful weather and skipper Lance fished within yards of a huge Russian trawler. After 27 hours of hard fishing and whilst the other anglers snoozed below decks, Lyn hooked up in the dark using a whole Hoki bait and began a 63 minute fight with a monster bluefin on 60kg tackle.

Back on the dock the fish weighed in at 223kg and should earn Lyn a New Zealand and World Record.

Awsome fish Lyn - Rather you than me though. Think i'll stick to my nice warm Fiji waters.....