Not only is Ken Fraser’s bluefin the biggest tuna ever recorded by the International Game Fish Association, it is also one of the most iconic records of all time. He landed the world record bluefin tuna on October 26, 1979, fishing with Capt. Eric Samson aboard Lady and Misty out of Port Hood, Nova Scotia. And get this, Fraser needed just 45 minutes to bring the largest tuna ever caught close enough to gaff after it ate a trolled mackerel.
After nearly 10 hours dehydrating in the boat, the bluefin tuna still weighed an incredible 1,496 pounds. This world record tuna has stood for almost 40 years and we may never see it broken.
More recent big bluefin tuna catches include one off the coast of Maine and another off the coast of Louisiana. Interested in checking out some other big fish records? See more historic, long-standing IGFA records here.
