They don’t get much larger! Angler Earl Gill IV hooked this massive 443-pound yellowfin tuna aboard the Excel, using an Okuma Makaira 20.
This past month, fishing social media has buzzed about a potential new world record yellowfin tuna caught off Mexico. Here’s the entire story: During a 10-day fishing adventure to the Pacific waters of Baja, under the guidance of Captain Justin Fleck from the Excel, a group of anglers aimed to catch giant yellowfin tuna. These mega yellowfins, often referred to as “cows,” can weigh between 200 and 300 pounds.
No one can dispute that angler Earl Gill IV emerged victorious by bringing to the boat an astonishing 443-pounder. He could potentially become an IGFA champion. His “super cow,” a rare yellowfin tuna exceeding 300 pounds, was weighed on a certified IGFA scale and submitted to the IGFA on Saturday, November 17, 2024, in San Diego, California. If approved, his catch would become the new all-tackle world record for yellowfin tuna.
Chasing Giant Yellowfins
Angler Earl Gill IV and the Excel crew display their record-breaking 443-pound yellowfin tuna caught far offshore Baja.
“We traveled down to the Lower Banks, where one specific area showed all the signs of tuna,” stated Captain Fleck. “It appeared they were just beginning to arrive in the region, but the ones we saw were substantial.”
“On our first day there, we observed them swimming around the boat, but they seemed sluggish and wouldn’t bite. We managed to catch just one fish that day — a 309-pounder on the chunk. We had a group discussion about whether to try for another day, and everyone agreed to the challenge.”
On the morning of Monday, November 11, another angler on the Excel connected with a large fish, hooking a 275-pound tuna using a sinker rig. Following that catch, it seemed like all activity vanished from the area.
Just as Fleck intended to relocate, some fish began appearing on the radar. Gill quickly set up his chunk line after the captain announced they had spotted fish. Equipped with a California-style rail rod and Okuma Makaira 20 — a 2-speed lever drag reel with 100-pound-test line — he positioned himself at the boat’s aft corner.
An Unforgettable Yellowfin Tuna Catch
Angler Earl Gill IV weighed his giant yellowfin tuna, his “super cow,” on a certified IGFA scale in San Diego.
The yellowfin tuna took Gill’s chunk bait positioned 150 feet down, causing him to sprint toward the bow, pulling line tirelessly. He was aware he had hooked something extraordinary. Observing the deck, other anglers fought their own fish, but his struggle felt distinctly different. His fish pulled an incredible amount of 100-pound-test line, finally stopping just before the reel spun out.
After a grueling one-hour standoff with his super cow, Gill found himself at a stalemate. Fleck had to lift anchor to help get the fish to move from the bottom. The captain maneuvered the boat directly above it, and Gill resumed his effort. As the fish neared the surface, he couldn’t sense the thrashing of a tuna in death spirals, leading the crew to wonder if Gill had hooked something other than a yellowfin.
But clarity soon emerged. As sometimes happens with monster blue marlin, Gill’s fish had gone belly-up at a great depth. He found himself pulling the heavy weight of his super cow from the depths, a tougher task than if the fish were still alive.
“It was my first cow!” Gill exclaimed. “I hoped for a smaller warmup cow, but I ended up landing the big one. The Makaira gearing was exceptional. I believe many factors aligned to allow me to successfully bring in this fish.”
Captain Justin Fleck is no stranger to helping his anglers catch near record-breaking tuna. His boat, along with its crew, enjoys one of the finest reputations in the San Diego long-range fleet, providing trips that yield enormous cow tuna. This record yellowfin was caught using Okuma’s Makaira Black Series reel, which features a silver-etched yellowfin tuna design on its frame. It was only fitting that Gill had the perfect tackle at the perfect moment to achieve his historic catch, which could surpass the current world-record 427-pounder.