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Big Red Drum on Fly and Other Pending World Records

Four great catches await approval as new world records by the IGFA

By Doug Olander

Updated: January 15, 2015

RED DRUM — 16-POUND TIPPET

Fly-rodder Candace Kern of San Antonio caught a 39-pound red drum on 16-pound tippet, fishing a black-and-purple fly out of Port Aransas, Texas, after a 15-minute battle. If approved it will defeat the current class record of 33 pounds, 8 ounces, from Louisiana. For more information on the International Game Fish Association and/or world records, visit the IGFA.

SOUTHERN BLUEFIN TUNA — 20-POUND LINE CLASS

If approved, a 108-pound southern bluefin tuna will be the new women’s 20-pound line-class record for Australian angler Chloe Taylor of Oatley, New South Wales. She hooked the tuna on a pilchard off Bermagui, Australia, and required 1 hour, 20 minutes to land it. If approved it will defeat the 81-pound, 9-ounce record taken off Tasmania in 1981.

GIANT TREVALLY — ALL-TACKLE LENGTH RECORD

For angler Jan Forszpaniak of Naples, Florida, an all-tackle length record from the far Pacific is pending. Forszpaniak also released a 49.6-inch giant trevally in September while fishing in the Cook Islands. It would defeat the current GT length record of 109 inches. Forszpaniak landed the GT in 20 minutes after it struck a fish known locally as a yellow snapper.

BONEFISH — ALL-TACKLE LENGTH RECORD

Reports circulating for years have hinted at huge bonefish swimming the deep flats of New Caledonia. Those flats have produced a new all-tackle length record, 28.3-inch bonefish, caught this past September by Forszpaniak (who caught the giant trevally shown on previous page). If approved, the catch will tie the existing length record of 28.3 inches (72 centimeters), caught in the Cook Islands in 2013.

More: bonefish fishing, Fish Identification, photos, Redfish Fishing, Science of Sport Fishing, Species, trevally fishing, Tuna Fishing

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Big Red Drum on Fly and Other Pending World Records

RED DRUM — 16-POUND TIPPET

SOUTHERN BLUEFIN TUNA — 20-POUND LINE CLASS

GIANT TREVALLY — ALL-TACKLE LENGTH RECORD

BONEFISH — ALL-TACKLE LENGTH RECORD

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