An angler catches what may be a world record yellowfin tuna off the coast of Southern California.

North Carolina angler Earl Gill IV was among a group of 26 fishermen who went on a 10-day long-distance fishing trip aboard the boat Excel in mid-November. The 124-foot boat, captained by veteran captain Justin Fleck, is known for catching oversized tuna, among other species. But when Gill hooked a particularly large and deep-swimming tuna while lump fishing, the whole crew took notice.

On November 11, Gill was fishing in 150 feet of water and hooked the fish. He fished for tuna from the back of the boat using a rail rod with a 20-lever Okuma Makaira reel and a 2-speed reel spooled with 100-pound test line. After a hard-fought and tiring battle in which almost all the line was drained from his Okuma reel, Gill brought the tuna to the surface and was finally hauled aboard the Excel.

The boat’s scales showed the fish weighed 448 pounds, which would have broken the IGFA all-tackle catch record of 417 pounds. However, Excel was only halfway through the planned 10-day journey. Thus, the tuna had to be refrigerated, no doubt causing it to lose several pounds before it could be officially weighed ashore on certified scales.

Capt. Fleck posted the catch on Excel’s Facebook page as the boat returned to San Diego.

“Only four other yellowfin tuna over 400 pounds have been caught on rod and reel,” he wrote. “This is an amazing achievement. From time to time we are amazed at the size of the catch and we are thrilled that Earl managed to land the fish of his life and can’t wait to see if it sets a new IGFA record.”

Jason Gross, manager of the fishing vessel Excel, witnessed the fish being weighed on shore.

“On a certified ground scale, Earl the yellowfin weighed 443 pounds,” Gross said. Outdoor living. “It certainly was a special fish: 84 inches long and 66 inches in girth.”

Gross says that after being weighed and measured, the tuna was put into a food processor because yellowfin tuna are a valuable food item. He says Jill is working on standard IGFA paperwork to submit her catch as a record for the Florida-based organization.

If certified by the IGFA, it will break the current yellowfin tuna catch record. This fish weighed 427 pounds and was caught by angler Guy Yocom off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2012. There were some questions about Gill’s catch due to the length of the long voyage and the gear used. Gross, however, says Gill owns the tackle he used. Additionally, his father (who was also on the boat) is a veteran and accomplished Excel class angler.

Capt. Jeremiah Sapp, who was a crew member aboard the Excel when Gill caught the tuna, reports that the angler used only a shoulder strap to fight the yellowfin, rather than the boat’s “bat” for leverage. This is an important detail to ensure that the catch meets IGFA requirements. The use of a boat rail as a support disqualifies the catch for inclusion in the IGFA. Shoulder straps are IGFA approved.

Read more: The biggest tuna of all time

It seems likely that Gill’s catch will be approved by the IGFA following a thorough review of the documents by the organization, which should happen soon. Gill was stunned to catch such a massive yellowfin tuna without having to warm up to the smaller ones.

“I think a lot of things lined up to help me land this fish,” he said.

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