Texas Man Lands Record-Breaking, 884-Pound Bluefin Tuna
A Houston-based angler landed an 884-pound bluefin tuna last month. Once certified, the catch will break the existing Texas state record.
It took David Esslinger five hours to reel in the behemoth about 160 miles off the coast of Galveston. The tuna officially weighed 884 pounds, topping the standing Texas bluefin record of 876 pounds, caught in 2021.
For perspective, the IGFA all-tackle world record bluefin tuna, caught off Nova Scotia in 1979 by angler Ken Fraser, weighed a whopping 1,496-pounds.
That's quite a prize for a fishing trip that saw no bites for more than 30 hours.
Esslinger and his buddies originally set out on a 46-foot catamaran called Catillac on Thurs., April 10. In a Facebook post, the fisherman said their setup "looked like a moving trailer park: Shimano Tiagra 130s on a center console, 1600 pounds of ice, food for a month, fried chicken, harnesses, and devotion to this amazing game of sport fishing."
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After absolutely nothing for more than a day, the Gulf finally started to show signs of life. That's when something massive hit one of the baits they had in the water.
During the fight, the tuna charged the boat several times and, at one point, peeled off 1,400 yards from the boat, the anglers told Sport Fishing Magazine. The fish likely died from exhaustion three hours into the five-hour battle. Then they spent the final two hours bringing the fish up "inch by inch."
Then, they covered the bluefin with ice bags and towels and hauled their ass back to the marina.
"Thank you to our awesome TEAM," Esslinger wrote in his Facebook post. "Thank you to the sport fishing community … And thank you LORD every day for watching over every one of us."
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