Awaiting world record blackfin tuna caught in tournament in Florida

Most record-class fish are caught without much fanfare, but the upcoming world record blackfin tuna caught in Florida on Saturday is an exception. The tuna, which weighed more than 50 pounds, was brought ashore during landing Fins weekend, an annual fundraising tournament held by the Miami Dolphins. In addition to being a world record, the fish took first place in the toughest tuna division and earned the team a $30,000 payout.

Several NFL celebrities were on hand to witness the weigh-in, and a Instagram video shows the reaction of former Dolphins head coach and hall-of-famer Jimmy Johnson. In another, the team congratulated fisherman Bob Kowalski, who caught the tuna social media message.

Kowalski was fishing aboard the boat with Pete Sinnick and his family Mrs. Britt, a 34-foot charter boat helmed by Gareth Haddam. Although they are from Chicago, Sinnick said CBS News that the family has been attending the annual Dolphin Tournament for decades.

“It started with my wife and I, and then spread to my father and my sons,” Sinnick said. “I grew up a die-hard Dolphins fan and I think I made some impression on them to be fans too.”

Now at 25e This year, Finns Weekend is a two-day celebration of fishing and football that brings together players, fans, alumni and others – with proceeds going to a local athletic outreach program led by the Baptist Health Orthopedic Institute. Tournament organizer Bluewater movements called this year’s event “historic” because it marked the first time in tournament history that a potential world record fish was caught. According to the organizer, Kowalski’s blackfin was certified by a biologist from the International Game Fish Association.

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The IGFA record book hasn’t been updated yet to reflect this, but Kowalski’s blackfin should set a new world record in the all-tackle division after the proper paperwork is filed. The No. 1 spot is currently held by a 49-pound, 6-ounce tuna, caught in Florida waters in 2006. At 50.1 pounds, Kowalski’s fish is 12 ounces heavier than that tuna, and the IGFA regulations require that any fish that replaces a world record weigh at least two to three ounces more than the current record.

Blackfin tuna are one of the smaller members of the tuna family, typically weighing between 15 and 25 weights. (Bluefin tuna, by comparison, can easily weigh more than 1,000 pounds.) They are still highly sought after and considered great table fare by most saltwater anglers. These fish often school in large numbers at the surface, and they can be found throughout the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil.



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