iStockphoto / albertc111/FishingPhotog
large Bluefin tuna being held by a fisherman next to San Diego, California road sign
Captain Ryan Stahl aboard the Game Changer in San Diego, California had one heck of a week! They landed a 420-pound Pacific Bluefin Tuna, the largest PBT ever caught in the state of California.
This catch broke the previous California state fishing record for the Pacific Bluefin Tuna species by 25 pounds and returned the record from Los Angeles back to San Diego where Bluefin Tuna fishing is more prevalent.
Record-Setting 420-Pound Pacific Bluefin Tuna Caught In San Diego, California
Capt. Ryan Stahl’s record-setting catch has gone viral since the rare fish was landed on Tuesday after the long Labor Day Weekend. With warmer waters off Southern California due to the ‘Super El Niño’ that is still building, Pacific Bluefin Tuna fishing has been on fire lately. It has also led to anomalous catches in the PWN like this state record Striped Marlin caught in Washington.
The crew aboard the Game Changer were fishing a Delta Flyer at 8 knots when the 420-pound Pacific Bluefin Tuna hooked up on the Seeker 4x rod with 1,000 yards of 130-pound hollow-core Izorline. According to a recent post (see below), the massive tuna “launched itself from about 12 feet away onto the bait and entered the water vertical with its tail showing how big it was” with everything seemingly happening in slow motion.
After getting it back to the dock, the new state record tipped the scales at 420 pounds. The previous California state fishing record for Pacific Bluefin Tuna was 395 pounds, 6 ounces. That fish was landed by angler Floyd Sparks who was fishing out of Los Angles on the Tanner Bank. Once certified, this 420-pounder will be the new official state record for the PBT species.
420 Pound Bluefin Tuna *NEW STATE RECORD* – San Diego, CA
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u/tackleworldusa in
TunaFishing
More pictures of this absolutely massive Bluefin Tuna can be seen on the Game Changer Sportfishing Facebook page. And it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, if you are in the market for a bluefin tuna fishing charter out of San Diego right now these are your guys.
Take a quick perusal of the truly massive fish they have been catching over the past week and you’ll see why you’d be wise to go fishing with them.
How Big Do These Tuna Get?
iStockphoto / Whitepointer
Large bluefin tuna swimming undewater
The Pacific and Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are distinct subspecies. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna grow considerably larger than their Pacific brethren and can often weigh over 1,000-pounds.
In the Pacific, they get massive but rarely are they anything close to this 400-pound size in California waters. The IGFA Fishing World Record for the species is 907 lb 6 oz. That fish was caught by angler Donna Pascoe in Three Kings, New Zealand back in 2014.
As far as trophy PBT fishing goes, New Zealand is the place to be. The largest Pacific Bluefins are caught there each year so to see one of these 400+ pound fish make its way to California during an anomalous Super El Niño year is interesting and also an encouraging sign to get out and go fishing for anyone in Southern California. Take advantage of the warm water while it’s there!