106.75 kg Yellowfin Tuna clear winner at 2012 Tuna Nationals

Frank Scholtz (50), a veterinarian from East London fished his way into the world record books by landing a 106.75 kg Yellowfin tuna on Wednesday, the 16th of May 2012 in False Bay. Frank, a deep-sea angler and captain of the Border Provincial side was competing in the 2012 Tuna Nationals fishing tournament hosted by the False Bay Yacht Club (South African Marlin and Tuna Club) in Simon’s Town.

Frank was about 30 n.m from Cape Point into the Atlantic Ocean onboard the boat “Witch Craft” – an Arrowcat 30 (bought from Magson Marine in Strand) skippered by David Edgar, and fought an incredible 6 hours and 30 minutes to land the Yellowfin which, according to Frank, “never gave up fighting”. The news of this world-record size Yellowfin Tuna has spread like wildfire throughout the global news channels and fishing communities. The previous record for a Yellowfin tuna was a 97 kg fish caught by Gregory Phillip Clarke in New South Wales, Australia in 1980. Frank was ecstatic when he heard the news.

“I’ve been fishing since birth, it’s my biggest passion in life and when I landed that tuna it was a very special feeling. It just feels fantastic,” said Frank. Frank’s endurance-testing hook up (what he refers to as “slow poison”) started at about 10:00, and only ended around 16:00. “I was broken! But the turning point came after the 5th hour of fighting, when I turned the fish around, and reeled it in”.

Frank fished with 10 kg line on a Penn International reel. For a detailed report on the 2012 Tuna Nationals, catch the August 2012 issue of Leisure Boating.