Smoko time for a game fisherman

Tutukaka angler Simon Barradell with the pending New Zealand record Big Eye Tuna caught off the Bay of Islands. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

A 120.2kg big eye tuna may be a record breaker, but its fate will still be the smoker.

Paihia weigh master David Cadell said it was the first big eye tuna to be caught on a line-weight of 60kg, so could be claimed as a New Zealand record.

Mr Cadell said the fish would be worth "mega-bucks in Japan", but it was illegal to sell any game fish in New Zealand.

"It's beautiful smoked but anyone who wants to taste big eye yellow fin tuna in New Zealand has to go out and catch one."

It was caught by Tutukaka angler Simon Barradell on John Batterton's boat The Harlequin on the Poor Knights Rise, about 48 nautical miles off Cape Brett.

Barradell's intentions for the fish were clear.

"I'm going to smoke it and eat it" - in several sittings, of course.

Soon after, a second not quite so big eye tuna of 94.4kg was caught, followed by a "good-sized" 122.2kg marlin.