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Breeding

How Big Was the Largest Ahi Tuna Ever Caught? The 427-Pound Record

Guy Yocom’s 427-pound yellowfin tuna is the IGFA All-Tackle ahi record. Here is when and where it was caught, how it was reviewed and why other tuna records may differ.

By Animalso Team 7 min read

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The largest ahi tuna recognized in sport-fishing records is a 427-pound (193.68-kilogram) yellowfin tuna caught by Guy Yocom on September 28, 2012, about 100 miles off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The catch was approved by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) as its All-Tackle yellowfin tuna record.

That wording matters. “Ahi” is the common market and fishing name for yellowfin tuna, and this record is for one species in one sport-fishing category. It is not a claim that a yellowfin is the heaviest tuna of every species, nor that it exceeds every fish caught by commercial or non-IGFA methods.

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The record at a glance

Record detail Reported value
Species Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), commonly called ahi
Weight 427 pounds (193.68 kilograms)
Angler Guy Yocom
Date September 28, 2012
Location About 100 miles off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Boat El Suertudo
IGFA category All-Tackle yellowfin tuna
Reported fight About 50 minutes

The weight is the figure to use when the question is specifically about the IGFA all-tackle yellowfin record: 427 pounds (193.68 kilograms). Contemporary reports describe the catch and the approval, while the underlying application file is not independently available for examination here.

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What “ahi tuna” means

Ahi is the name most anglers, restaurants and fish markets use for yellowfin tuna. Yellowfin are a distinct tuna species, not a catch-all term for every large tuna. Other species, including bluefin and bigeye tuna, have their own records and can produce different “biggest tuna” figures.

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When a source says “largest ahi,” check whether it is talking about yellowfin specifically. A number attached to “largest tuna” without a species can be misleading because it may combine several species or refer to a different record system. The precise description for Yocom’s fish is therefore “IGFA all-tackle yellowfin tuna record.”

How Guy Yocom caught the fish

Contemporary fishing-industry coverage says Yocom was chunking bait to a school of yellowfin while fishing with another angler. The two anglers reportedly took turns with the rod. After a fight of about 50 minutes, the fish was brought to the boat.

The catch took place aboard El Suertudo, roughly 100 miles offshore from Cabo San Lucas. That distance identifies the offshore location reported for the catch; it should not be treated as a precise GPS coordinate. Reports also say the fish was weighed at the docks on a digital scale.

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The dock report added an important measurement detail: the scale was recertified in San Diego a few days later. Scale recertification supports confidence in the reported weight, but it does not replace the complete record application or establish details that the contemporary report did not publish.

How IGFA approval fits into the story

A separate contemporary account reports that IGFA’s World Record Review Committee examined the tackle used, supporting photographs and witness testimony before approving the submission. That is the reported review process for this application.

IGFA organizes sport-fishing records by species and by category. Its principal categories include All-Tackle, line-class records and length-based records. An approval in one category does not automatically establish a record in another. The 427-pound figure belongs to the All-Tackle yellowfin category.

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For a reader evaluating an old record claim, the practical lesson is to separate three things: the fish’s species, the category under which the catch was submitted and the organization or jurisdiction that recognized it. A record can be genuine within one scope and still be irrelevant to a comparison made under another.

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Why other “biggest tuna” numbers may look different

Comparison point What changes How to read the number
Species Yellowfin, bluefin, bigeye and other tuna are separate species Compare yellowfin with yellowfin unless the question explicitly covers all tuna species
Record category All-Tackle, line class and length-based records use different criteria A line-class or length record is not interchangeable with the All-Tackle weight record
Jurisdiction IGFA world records and state record programs operate separately Identify the organization that approved the catch
Fishing method Sport-fishing rules may differ from commercial or otherwise undocumented catches Do not present an unverified catch as an IGFA sport-fishing record

California’s fishing and diving records are a separate jurisdictional system. California directs applicants seeking a world record to IGFA, which illustrates why a state record and an IGFA record should not be merged into one list. If you encounter a different weight, first ask whether it is a different species, a different IGFA category, a state record or a catch outside the IGFA system.

Is 427 pounds the largest yellowfin ever caught?

Within the evidence attached to this record, 427 pounds (193.68 kilograms) is the recognized IGFA all-tackle yellowfin tuna record. The phrase “ever caught” needs that qualification because no single database necessarily captures every fish taken by every vessel, gear type and jurisdiction. IGFA’s figure is a sport-fishing record governed by its rules and review process.

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Record status can also change if IGFA approves a heavier qualifying catch. Before publishing the number as a current record, check IGFA’s searchable world-record database and the yellowfin entry’s latest status. A historical account of Yocom’s 2012 approval remains accurate even if a later catch eventually supersedes it.

How to verify a record claim

  1. Confirm the species. Look for yellowfin tuna rather than the broader word “tuna” or the restaurant term “ahi” alone.
  2. Confirm the category. Determine whether the claim is All-Tackle, a line-class record or a length-based record.
  3. Identify the approving body. Distinguish an IGFA world record from a state, regional, tournament or informal boat record.
  4. Check the measurement. Verify that the published weight is tied to a documented scale and that any scale-certification detail is stated with the number.
  5. Look for approval evidence. Photographs, witnesses, tackle information and a review decision are stronger evidence than an uncited social-media caption.
  6. Check the date. A 2012 approval describes when Yocom’s fish was recognized; it does not, by itself, prove that no later qualifying fish has been approved.

This checklist prevents the most common error: comparing a carefully defined IGFA record with an unqualified “biggest tuna” statement.

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What the catch does—and does not—tell us about yellowfin

The record demonstrates the size of one documented yellowfin caught under IGFA’s All-Tackle rules. It does not establish a typical size for the species, a maximum biological size, or the weight of every yellowfin school near Cabo San Lucas. A record is an extreme observation, not a description of ordinary fishing.

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Nor does the record tell you how much of the fish was edible, how old it was or what its exact length was. Those details are not part of the reported record figure and should not be inferred from the weight alone.

IGFA records, releases and the wider record system

IGFA reported that it approved more than 600 world records in 2025 and that approximately 75 percent of those fish were released. That statistic covers IGFA’s entire record program, not yellowfin tuna specifically and not Yocom’s catch. It provides context for the breadth of the organization’s recordkeeping, but it cannot be used to estimate the share of yellowfin records that are released.

IGFA President Jason Schratwieser described the meaning of the program this way: “Each listing represents preparation, discipline, and respect for game fish.” The statement was made in IGFA’s March 19, 2026 announcement and refers to record listings across the organization, rather than this single yellowfin catch.

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If you want to pursue an IGFA record

Anyone considering a record attempt should use IGFA’s current rules and application materials before fishing. IGFA provides information about applications, scale certification and line testing, and its world-record database is the appropriate place to check category definitions.

  1. Choose the exact record category. Decide whether your goal is an All-Tackle, line-class or length-based record. The category determines the evidence and tackle requirements that apply.
  2. Prepare compliant tackle. Keep the rod, reel, line, leader and terminal equipment consistent with the selected rules. Record the details while they are fresh rather than relying on memory after the trip.
  3. Plan the weighing procedure. Use a scale suitable for the application and preserve documentation showing its certification or recertification where required. The reported Yocom catch included a digital dock scale and a later recertification report.
  4. Arrange independent witnesses. Witness testimony was among the materials reportedly reviewed in Yocom’s application. Make sure witnesses can describe the catch and the weighing without conflicting accounts.
  5. Document the fish and tackle. Take clear photographs and retain the information IGFA requests. Photographs and tackle records were also reported as part of the review of Yocom’s submission.
  6. Submit through IGFA’s current process. Requirements, forms and fees can change, so use the current instructions rather than copying an older application.

Following these steps does not guarantee approval. It makes the catch auditable, which is the point of a formal record system.

Common mistakes when repeating the record

  • Calling it an all-species tuna record: The recognized figure is for yellowfin tuna, not every tuna species.
  • Dropping “All-Tackle” from the description: Doing so hides the category that gives the number its meaning.
  • Treating a state record as an IGFA record: California and IGFA maintain different systems.
  • Reporting only the rounded weight: Include both 427 pounds and 193.68 kilograms when precision matters.
  • Presenting the fight details as independently verified: The 50-minute fight, baiting method, dock weighing and scale recertification come from contemporary reports.
  • Assuming a historical approval is automatically current: Check the live IGFA listing for any later change.

The bottom line

Guy Yocom’s 427-pound (193.68-kilogram) yellowfin, caught on September 28, 2012, about 100 miles off Cabo San Lucas aboard El Suertudo, is the key answer to “What is the largest ahi tuna ever caught?” More precisely, it is the IGFA All-Tackle yellowfin tuna record reported and approved for that catch. Use the full species-and-category description whenever you compare it with another tuna claim.

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