HUGE TUNA LANDED AND WEIGHED AT 382 POUNDS

Oct. 13, 2005, Tracy Ehrenberg, Pisces Fleet, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Near World Record Tuna Report:

About the huge tuna was caught today in Puerto Vallarta, the fish was very fat and looked like a world record. After about 40 minutes at Puerto Vallarta, they were able to locate a certified scale. The first time they hoisted it up, it showed 435 pounds, they weighed it again and it came back as 441. Everybody got very excited as this looked to be the new all tackle world record. The IGFA rep came down and reweighed the fish, without ropes and people holding on.

The weight came back at 382 pounds, just shy of the yellowfin tuna all tackle record of 388 pounds 12 ounces. However, seeing as this fish was caught on 100 pound test, it will be entered for the man's 130 pound class record, which is currently 376 pounds 6 ounces.

The Puerto Vallarta angler was Todd Fraser from Santa Cruz, Calif. He owns a tackle store there. He had been down there targeting big tuna and has several fish of 200 pounds plus. It took him 30 minutes to boat the tuna, after they choked the fish with a large bonita, at Corbetena, 38 miles out from Vallarta.

Boat was a 34 foot Classic, named Yolaray, and the skipper was Manuel Ocaranza.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Puerto Vallarta and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Puerto Vallarta may be found at Mexfish.com's main Puerto Vallarta page.