Giant yellowfin tuna caught from kayak

After two separate epic battles, Hawaiian 'yak fishers working out of Hobie's diminutive Mirage Revolution 13 kayak have landed yellowfin tuna of 84.82kg (187.6lb) and 80.06kg (176.5lb) respectively.

The link in these two outstanding recent captures is the same model kayak, a point not lost on Hobie, as evidenced by this article  that we lucked on with its fishing news site.

At 3.94m (13ft) long, and 70cm 28in wide, and with a capacity of 159kg (350lb) comprising angler, tackle and fish, these aren't big kayaks. But in both cases, the anglers had equipped the optional Hobie Sidekick Ama Kit for extra stability and capacity.

Now to the crazy catch tale. The latest record breaker, the 84.82kg yellowfin was landed on July 6, 2016, by Nick Wakida of Haiku, who launched his Revolution at daybreak from the Hawaiian island of Maui. He reportedly headed out with just one mackerel scad as bait.

The story goes that Wakida hooked up after an hour later, with line smoking off the reel, reported Kayak Fish magazine.

“I tightened down the drags and then it was a battle where I would get two inches, he would take an inch, he would take three inches, I would get a couple back, so it was inch by inch,” recalls Wakida. “The fish would just pull slow, steady and hard, exactly like a shark.”

“Kayak fishing you pull the kayak to the fish and it was taking me super far and super deep. I tried to turn its head — I had to go to work — and when I tried to lift the pole and turn him the pole snaps. Miraculously the fish was still on.”

Wakida couldn’t get any leverage with the remaining stub of his fishing rod. He had no choice but to hand-line the fish. Fortunately, he had gloves. Unfortunately, the line soon tangled with another, dangling from a jig line he hadn’t been able to clear during the frantic battle with the tuna.

It was unreal, there I am hand lining with lines from two reels all over my lap,” says Wakida. “I had to make sure nothing wrapped around my limbs or toes or in one second I could lose a toe or another limb. Eventually I could see the yellow of the yellow fin and I started to get really excited!” he adds.

Wakida gaffed the huge fish, so long he couldn’t secure it with a tail wrap, and looked up to see the fish had towed him far out to sea. Unable to bring the massive tuna on board and concerned that it could fall victim to sharks, he called his dad. Dad called Maui Sporting Goods, and they called the lifeguards. The guards motored out on personal watercraft to assist.

 “The lifeguards dropped me off on a beach that is pretty popular with the tourists, so they were all checking it out,” he adds. “I still can’t believe this is all happening, I was in really shallow waters, about 150 [feet], and usually guys are going out to water a thousand, 1500 feet deep to find this fish. And I was so convinced it was a shark the whole time. Most of all I wanted to see what was on the end of the line.”

Wakida’s catch beat an 80.06kg yellowfin caught off Kona, Hawaii, by Devin Hallingstad in July 2011. This fish caught five years earlier was also landed from a Revolution 13. The tuna reportedly towed the angler far offshore before coming up tail-wrapped and nearly sinking the 'yak. Hawaii sure is a great place for big fish from small boats and watercraft.

Article courtesy and reworked from the Hobie Cat Fishing Blog at http://www.hobiecat.com.au.