On February 19, while fishing north off the Three Kings Islands, Donna Pascoe spent just over four hours fighting to bring a monster 411.6 kg Pacific bluefin tuna on board Gladiator in weather not for the faint-hearted.
Believed to be a New Zealand and world record, the claim will be sent to the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) for ratification. Along with the massive tuna, Donna also tagged and released three striped marlin and eight sharks while representing the Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club during the week-long New Zealand Sports Fishing Council's annual nationals.
The competition finished on Saturday and as a result, Donna and the team aboard Gladiator - which she and her husband own, and which is skippered by Scott Sutherland - will be awarded a number of trophies and awards including the City of Auckland Trophy as tuna team champions, the Carol Atwood Trophy for most meritorious tuna, New Zealand Champion Angler for tuna section and Champion Line Weight Angler in the tuna category.
Donna also picked up the second place award for most tagged and released sharks (eight), and placed third for most tagged and released striped marlin (three).
The team from 'Ahab' were the Shark Team Champions and will receive the NZI Trophy, Dave Kahlenberg taking out first and third in the Shark Champion angler section. Top teams for Houhora were Ahab 1 (i.e. 1st), Gladiator 2 and Lured 3.
