A Texas fisherman may have landed a new state record after reeling in a “giant” 884-pound bluefin tuna off the coast of Galveston, photos show.
David Esslinger set out with a crew of friends at 6 a.m. on April 10, bringing with them “1600 pounds of ice, food for a month, beer for 2 months, fried chicken, harnesses, and devotion to this amazing game of sport fishing,” he said in a Facebook post.
About 3 hours later, the crew aboard the Catillac started casting baited lures into the gulf, and the water came to life with hungry fish gathering around the boat, Esslinger said.
At about that time, Esslinger’s monster catch took the bait, and the fight was on. He hadn’t caught sight of it, but he could feel its power.
An hour passed and as the fish “charged” toward the boat in an attempt to free itself from the hook, “we got a glimpse of the giant unidentified fish” before it dove back down into the water.
“Soon after the second hour, she began the tuna circle, which was a standoff which I was losing. With great support from the team my spirits were still high,” Esslinger said.
The struggle went on, and while his heart was fully in the fight, he was growing physically exhausted.
Finally, Esslinger reeled the fish in far enough that one of the crew was able to secure it and pull it on board.
“With shaking body and inoperable hands, I made my way to the side of the boat and screamed with utter shock,” he said. “WHAT a GIANT BLUEFIN.”
They returned to land with their prize and weighed it at the Pelican Rest Marina, photos show. It weighed in at 884 pounds.
The current record for largest bluefin tuna caught in Texas was set nearly four years ago, in April of 2021, when angler Troy Lancaster caught an impressive 876-pound specimen — 8 pounds less than Esslinger’s.
But Esslinger’s catch has to be verified by the state Parks and Wildlife Department in order to set a new record. As of April 15, Lancaster’s record is still listed on the TPWD website.
McClatchy News reached out to the department to verify it’s been in touch with Esslinger, but didn’t immediately receive a response.
Esslinger thanked his friends and crewmates, without which he couldn’t have made the catch.
“For those who have never landed a fish the size of a car … NO man or woman will ever do this without a team,” he said.
MW
The State
Mitchell Willetts is a real-time news reporter covering the central U.S. for McClatchy. He is a University of Oklahoma graduate and outdoors enthusiast living in Texas.