As told by Cameron Kirkconnell
Current world-record dog tooth tuna for men—91kilograms (200.4 pounds) by Cameron Kirkconnell February 4, 2006 at East Nusa, Tengara, Indonesia
Description of the hunt by Cameron KirkconnellWith the two fish in the boat and our time expired we decided to head back to the mainland 2 hours away. Something in me felt wrong though and I persuaded the boat driver to stay another hour ($15 more) so that we could dive in the ever increasing current for one last shot.
With a rain squall coming hard on us and the visibility darkening we decided on one last drift. Fighting his way out of a whirlpool a while later Craig breaks a blade on his fin before we can catch him with the boat. Handing me his tuna gun he smiles and says, "This is it, this is the one, make it count, I'll ride shotgun and bring the second gun so you can shoot your fish twice..."
5 minutes later i was relaxed and diving down through the warm surface layer to the cooler water below relishing the change in temperature that these type of Tuna love so much. At 50 feet i stopped kicking and glided down to find a school of dogtooth tuna surrounding me from 15 to 120 lbs. Patiently i glided deeper and caught sight of the black back of a slightly bigger one on the bottom at 90 feet. Passing the other smaller tuna the big fish turned slightly just as i reached the end of my float line and i squeezed the trigger.
Thunk!
The fish immediately shook his gills and then made two circles on the bottom banging the shaft against the coral in an attempt to break free of the object now lodged in his after half.
As the great fish strained for deep water i pushed hard for sunlight and grabbed my passing floats on the surface just in time to tell Craig, " I shot a TOAD!!!!"
Without pulling the first float under the fish headed for deep water. With my hands on the bungey I worked my way towards the fish and after only 45 seconds felt him stop kicking. Slowly but firmly I worked him towards me and again he powered down only to stop again. Nervous the fish would pull out i fought him as gingerly as possible trying to drown him by pulling him backwards every time he stopped. Within a few minutes the fish was in sight and I could see he was hurt bad but there was no way i was going to lose this fish. Grabbing my 115 Omer America with a reel from Craig, I quickly reloaded, dove and approached him. At 12 feet my lungs were screaming for air at the exertion of the last few minutes and I prayed that my shaking hands would aim true.. whoosh! The fish went stiff and i surfaced pulling the ever growing fish to me.
Oh my god. Oh my god.
I can't wrap my arms around him! I have never screamed so loud in my life. The rocky cliffs a mile distant reverberated with the sound of my voice and then mingled with that of Craigs and the boat driver.
With a raging 10 kt current approaching I handed the tail of the fish to the boat driver and jumped in the boat to relieve him but even with Craig and I pulling we could not budge the fish from the water. Trailing the fish to calm waters the three of us pulled the beast into the boat and then there was complete silence.
Looking at the 6 ft long fish at my feet my mind shut down and I was flooded with emotion at what I had before me. Never in my life could i have imagined this possible. Craig and I stared in utter silent disbelief.
Dogtooth Tuna. What I have always preached as the most challenging and difficult fish in the world to land. Diving 30 miles from civilization in 6-10 kts of current. The whitewater rafting we had done the week before doesn't even compare to the whirlpools and down currents and 5 ft standing waves we encounter every drift here. All the nights worrying about Malaria and days spent unsuccessfully trying to convince local fisherman to take us to the ends of the earth were forgotten. Before us lay the fruits of all our efforts and the answer to all our dreams.
200.4 lbs. 6 feet long and 4.5 feet in girth.
I am the luckiest man alive.
Cameron
Current world-record dog tooth tuna for men—91kilograms (200.4 pounds) by Cameron Kirkconnell February 4, 2006 at East Nusa, Tengara, Indonesia
Description of the hunt by Cameron KirkconnellWith the two fish in the boat and our time expired we decided to head back to the mainland 2 hours away. Something in me felt wrong though and I persuaded the boat driver to stay another hour ($15 more) so that we could dive in the ever increasing current for one last shot.
With a rain squall coming hard on us and the visibility darkening we decided on one last drift. Fighting his way out of a whirlpool a while later Craig breaks a blade on his fin before we can catch him with the boat. Handing me his tuna gun he smiles and says, "This is it, this is the one, make it count, I'll ride shotgun and bring the second gun so you can shoot your fish twice..."
5 minutes later i was relaxed and diving down through the warm surface layer to the cooler water below relishing the change in temperature that these type of Tuna love so much. At 50 feet i stopped kicking and glided down to find a school of dogtooth tuna surrounding me from 15 to 120 lbs. Patiently i glided deeper and caught sight of the black back of a slightly bigger one on the bottom at 90 feet. Passing the other smaller tuna the big fish turned slightly just as i reached the end of my float line and i squeezed the trigger.
Thunk!
The fish immediately shook his gills and then made two circles on the bottom banging the shaft against the coral in an attempt to break free of the object now lodged in his after half.
As the great fish strained for deep water i pushed hard for sunlight and grabbed my passing floats on the surface just in time to tell Craig, " I shot a TOAD!!!!"
Without pulling the first float under the fish headed for deep water. With my hands on the bungey I worked my way towards the fish and after only 45 seconds felt him stop kicking. Slowly but firmly I worked him towards me and again he powered down only to stop again. Nervous the fish would pull out i fought him as gingerly as possible trying to drown him by pulling him backwards every time he stopped. Within a few minutes the fish was in sight and I could see he was hurt bad but there was no way i was going to lose this fish. Grabbing my 115 Omer America with a reel from Craig, I quickly reloaded, dove and approached him. At 12 feet my lungs were screaming for air at the exertion of the last few minutes and I prayed that my shaking hands would aim true.. whoosh! The fish went stiff and i surfaced pulling the ever growing fish to me.
Oh my god. Oh my god.
I can't wrap my arms around him! I have never screamed so loud in my life. The rocky cliffs a mile distant reverberated with the sound of my voice and then mingled with that of Craigs and the boat driver.
With a raging 10 kt current approaching I handed the tail of the fish to the boat driver and jumped in the boat to relieve him but even with Craig and I pulling we could not budge the fish from the water. Trailing the fish to calm waters the three of us pulled the beast into the boat and then there was complete silence.
Looking at the 6 ft long fish at my feet my mind shut down and I was flooded with emotion at what I had before me. Never in my life could i have imagined this possible. Craig and I stared in utter silent disbelief.
Dogtooth Tuna. What I have always preached as the most challenging and difficult fish in the world to land. Diving 30 miles from civilization in 6-10 kts of current. The whitewater rafting we had done the week before doesn't even compare to the whirlpools and down currents and 5 ft standing waves we encounter every drift here. All the nights worrying about Malaria and days spent unsuccessfully trying to convince local fisherman to take us to the ends of the earth were forgotten. Before us lay the fruits of all our efforts and the answer to all our dreams.
200.4 lbs. 6 feet long and 4.5 feet in girth.
I am the luckiest man alive.
Cameron
Wow thats a great adventure and quite a feat, that dogs a beast...gets the blood boiling...here tuny, tuny.
goes to show not always the first man in gets the fish...but most of the time he does. WTG Cam
Till next report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!
Tone
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