Yellowfin tuna is enormous (427.9 pounds), but no record

Robert Pedigo has caught what's believed to be the heaviest yellowfin tuna ever landed on rod and reel, weighing 427.9 pounds.

However, the catch will not be submitted to the International Game Fish Assn. for world record consideration because the deckhand assisted in the catch, which was made last Thursday off Puerto Vallarta aboard the sportfisher Journeyman.

"Yes, this fish is not going to be a world record because I touched the rod while Robert fought the fish," Danny Osuna, a local captain who was handling deck duties, told Phil Friedman Outdoors. "We never thought this fish was going to go over 400-pounds."

The fish was not weighed until Sunday when Journeyman pulled into the Mexican resort city after an eight-day excursion to an area known as the Lower Banks.

The current all-tackle world record yellowfin is a 405-pound specimen caught in Mexican waters last November by Mike Livingston aboard the Vagabond, which runs from San Diego.

Livingston's fish erased from the record book a 388-pound, 12-ounce yellowfin caught in 1977.

Pedigo could not be reached for comment but Osuna offered assurance that the angler and other crew members were not upset about not being able to submist the catch fir record consideration.

"We are fine with it," Osuna said. "The best feeling we have is that we caught the biggest yellowfin ever on rod and reel."

-- Image shows Robert Pedigo (left) and Danny Osuna posing with a 427.9-pound yellowfin tuna caught last week out of Puerto Vallarta. Courtesy of Danny Osuna

Comments

[Miner]

Russel O'Neill was the captain, Russell is about the tightest Cap'n you'll find, Harry O Jr. was first mate, the two of them were pretty hard core...reel fisherman!

[Miner]

no, that's Pedigo...Harry O's about 15 yrs younger than Pedigo, we fished the Journeyman in February, nothing over 100# unfortunately.

[Marcos]

Who was the boat captain ?

[Shan M.]

I lost one of these up here in RI about 25 years ago, when the mate hit the line with the deck harpoon on his THIRD attemp! It just sank into the deep blue, no kicking at all. The Yellow fin tips on that fish were behind the tail! I wanted to jump in after it, but my father was fighting a 175# Mako on the bow of the boat at the same time. It was a great of fishing even without that massive Yellow; 2 Bluefin "Mistakes", 7 smaller yellows (one over #175) and that Mako.

[sally]

Sad day for the fish...

[Steven Pinard]

The guy on the left is deckhang Harry Okuda Jr. Not Robert Petigo.