Two pre-teens from Tasmania just each caught world record bluefin tuna (specifically a world record Southern Bluefin Tuna) while fishing at the fertile Hippolyte Rocks fishing grounds just off the Tasman peninsula, and they should just quit fishing now because fishing will never be that good again.
The two brothers Sam Nichols (12) and Toby Nichols (10) had simultaneous hookups on the massive Southern Bluefin Tuna, and from there it the two young anglers locked into hours long battles against the gargantuan pelagic fish, each in pursuit of IGFA Fishing World Record’s for both their ages and the class of line they were using to catch the tuna.
The elder brother, Sam (12), took 1 hour and 50 minutes to land his pending world record bluefin tuna (specifically a world record Southern Bluefin Tuna) that tipped the scales at 246.92-pounds (112-kilograms), which he caught on 24-kilogram line (~52.9-pound class fishing line).
Two New World Record Bluefin Tuna Caught In Tasmania By Boys Aged 10 And 12
The younger brother, Toby (10), caught the larger of the two fish. Toby’s Southern Bluefin Tuna tipped the scales at a whopping 262.35 pounds, and was caught on 37-kilogram line (~81.5-pound class fishing line).
As ABC News Australia reports, the knew almost INSTANTLY that the massive Southern Bluefin Tuna the young boys were fighting would be world records, and upon getting the tuna into the boat it was no question at all that they would go on to be record fish:
“We knew pretty much straight away they were world-record size for their age, so we’re pretty excited,” he said.
He said the record first needed to be ratified by the local tuna club.
“It then goes to the state body and then it goes to the Australian body,” Mr Nichols said.
“Samples of the line is sent, the lures are sent, all measurements have been taken on the rods and reels and line, and all the things involved in the capture.”
Wow. Wow. Wow. I am in awe of my kids. I was just part of the most amazing experience. A double strike of barrels for…
Posted by Stuart Nichols Personalised Sea Charters on Friday, August 14, 2015
To put these two enormous Southern Bluefin Tuna in perspective, the all-tackle IGFA World Record for Southern Bluefin Tuna is 369-pound, 4 ounces, caught back in 1998 by Diane Rome Peebles. So these two world record fish (for both the boy’s ages and the classes of line the boys were fishing with + their ages) came in around a hundred pounds less than the all tackle world record, which is a pretty astounding feat when you take into consideration that neither boy is even a teenager yet.