BIG COW TUNA WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENT CAUGHT AT EL BANCO

Oct. 15, 2006, Robert Retmier, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico:

Twenty years ago my wife Johnna and I went fishing out of Cabo San Lucas on our honeymoon and had the day most people only dream of. We took 15 live baits with us and at the end of the day we had caught and released 13 striped marlin. It was the best day of fishing in my life.

Over the next 20 years I dragged my wife all over the world in search of the one fish I had to catch, a yellowfin over 100 pounds.

My most recent search was on Oct. 10th this year at Puerta Vallarta.

We arrived at the Puerto Vallarta marina at 6 a.m. ready to go. Capt. Danny Osuna and the boat "Marla II" were ready to go. We headed out to El Banco for a day of fishing on our 20th wedding anniversary.

The first baits were in the water about 7:30 a.m. and within minutes the biggest boil I had ever seen raises on our right outrigger. The head of the biggest yellowfin tuna I had ever seen takes the baits and 100 yards of line scream off the reel in seconds. He spits the bait, comes back for 2 more hits but never swallows the bait.

Capt. Danny is pissed off and is standing in the stern of the boat talking to himself. The tuna was easily over 350 pounds he says, don't worry, the fish are here.

Over the next 4 hours we get 6 more strikes and no hookups. Capt. Danny is talking to the other boats and tells us the other boats had a total of 24 strikes, but only one fish for the whole fleet. Don't worry he says, the fish are here.

Was he right. At 12:30 p.m., we were thinking our day was almost over, great time, no fish, same old story. We troll the hoochies one more time, raise 3 fresh bonitas for bait and put the largest one on the middle downrigger.

As we are just getting settled in, the middle rod goes nuts, lines screams off this rig as I have never seen before. I stand by waiting for Danny to tell me to throw it into gear. He hits the throttle and the battle is on.

Over the next 2 hours I get 50 yards in and the fish takes 75 yards. It's 95 degrees outside and the humidity is even worse, just killing this old man.

Capt. Danny tells me to keep up the pressure and it all pays off. The yellowfin tuna had dragged us approximately 5 miles away from the fleet and beat the crap out of me, but it was all worth it.

Capt. Danny sticks the gaff in and with the help of myself and the deckhand we drag over the rail the most beautiful fish in the world, 259 pounds of pure brute strength, my dream fish.

The tuna was taped by the mathematical equation of length x girth x girth divided by 800, or 74 x 53 x 53 divided by 800 = 259.8 pounds.

Capt. Danny Osuna did an outstanding job, worked his butt off all day, and in the end it paid off. Thanks Capt. Danny, Bob and Johnna.

(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.