Rare ‘super cow’ tuna caught three days too late, as anglers miss out on huge jackpot
Timing is everything in the fishing world, especially in 2020 where anything that can possibly go wrong will. In this case, the catch of a rare “super cow” tuna weighing over 300 pounds pounds normally will be cause for excitement, but when it’s landed a few days after the close of a big-money tournament, it’s beyond frustrating.
Anglers Mike Witoshysky and Capt. Francisco “Gachi” Castillo of the Gordo Banks Pangas fishing charter managed to reel in a 310-pound yellowfin tuna just off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, three days after the Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot tournament had come to a close, USA Today Sports said.
To put the tuna’s weight class in perspective, Zack Martin, an all-pro guard for the Dallas Cowboys, tips the scale at 315 pounds.
The 2020 tournament featured a field of 149 teams that turned in fish for a record of $1,035,700 in cash payouts, USA Today reported. The largest fish caught was a 210-pound tuna, earning the winning team $80,625 according to the Jackpot tournament website.
Witoshysky, a Florida angler, and Catillo’s super cow tuna was caught three days after the tournament.
“Captain Gachi knew that it was a tuna as soon as it hit,” Pieces Sportsfishing, which served as a weigh-in center for the tournament, said. “He never saw the fish until they had it at the boat, but the way it took out line and by the fight it put up; he knew. Mike fought the fish standup, for an hour and half, even through very tough conditions. Captain Gachi said the wind was howling and it was rough, but Mike was not giving up.”
The Captain told Pieces that he felt accomplished with his huge catch.
“I never thought the fish was going to be that big. It’s the biggest tuna I’ve ever caught in my life,” Castillo said.
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Rare ‘super cow’ tuna caught three days too late, as anglers miss out on huge jackpot."