Fullerton Man Lands Record Tuna : 343-Pound, 3-Ounce Fish Caught on 100-Pound Test Line

When the Qualifier 105 docked at Fisherman’s Landing Sunday afternoon, about 100 onlookers were hoping to see a world-record yellowfin tuna.

They were not disappointed.

Randy Toussaint, 20, of Fullerton, had a 343-pound, 3-ounce yellowfin tuna on board, establishing a world-record for 100-pound test line. The previous record of 333 pounds on 100-pound test line was set by Ralph Nicholson in 1983.

Gary Smith, 43, of Manhattan Beach, caught a 358-pound yellowfin tuna on 80-pound test line during the Qualifier 105 trip. The world record for 80-pound test line is 388 pounds, 12 ounces, set by Curt Wiesenhutter in 1977.

There were four yellowfin tuna in excess of 300 pounds on board the Qualifier 105, the most productive local trip for big fish in the last eight years.

When the boat returned from its 16-day trip Sunday, there was uncertainty whether Toussaint’s catch would break the record. Onlookers cheered after the fish was officially weighed.

“We had an idea it was a record,” said John Grabowski, the boat’s captain. “We had the fish that broke the record taped out (estimated) at 335 pounds and the other one at 375. It could’ve gone either way.”

Said Toussaint: “I’m pretty stoked. I didn’t think it was going to be a record. I didn’t think it was over 340.”

Toussaint, the boat’s second captain, caught the record fish at 4 a.m. Monday at Roca Partida, 180 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas. He said he was using a four-pound live mackerel as bait.

According to Toussaint, only six passengers were fishing when he hooked the yellowfin tuna. Four people pulled the fish on board when it was brought to surface after a 45-minute fight.

“I was using my second bait after I had gotten up,” Toussaint said. “I’ve seen 200 pounders pull better than that one. Once fish get that big, they need too much oxygen to get going.”

Toussaint caught three yellowfin tuna with a combined weight of more than 700 pounds on the same spool of test line. Normally, fishermen change their test line after each catch because the line is stretched too much by fish that size.

Smith, a liability insurance salesman, caught his 358-pounder at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday at Clarion Island, 380 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas. He was also using live mackerel as bait.

After fighting the fish for about an hour, Smith handed his pole to a deck hand. It took 1 hour 18 minutes to land the fish, which required five people to pull it on board.

“As soon as the mackerel hit the water and took off, bingo,” Smith said. “After a little over an hour, I was beat. The longer you are on the fish, the more chance you have of losing it. I knew from the chitter chatter of the captain and deck hands that it was big. I didn’t know how big. I wanted to be able to see it.”

The 30 passengers on board caught 390 yellowfin tuna, 129 wahoo, 24 amberjack and 2 marlin.