In many ways, Jenna Gavin is like your typical 12-year-old.
She loves her iPad mini and getting high scores on video games, and recently, she brought that attitude to the fishing wharf.
Gavin’s parents own a Bluefin tuna charter business.
On Tuesday, she and her family set out to break the record for the youngest girl to catch a large tuna.
The previous record was 195 kilograms.
“When I was sitting in the chair, I was extremely nervous,” explains Gavin. “I was scared for when he bit. It was so amazing to feel his every move and to be able to get to feel him pulling with all his strength against you. I mean, it did hurt, yes it did, but it felt so cool.
The rules say no one is allowed to help directly with the fight.
Chandra Gavin, Jenna’s mother, says she and the crew were only able to give Jenna advice and encouragement during the two hour battle.
“You know, I kept assuring her at the end of the fight,” says Jenna’s mother, Chandra. “When she was starting to lose faith, and she was exhausted and wondering if she could go on, I kept telling her, it’s going to be worth it when you see this at the end.”
The 12-year-old’s fish weight in at 280 kilograms, or 618 pounds, smashing the old record.
“I was really shocked to see how big he was,” exclaims Jenna. “Like, he was so big! Like, I mean, he didn’t weight that much, but he was really big!”
The fish has been dressed and delivered to market in the United States.
Under terms of the license, the charter business is allowed to keep one fish every season.
The family says, it will help a lot with various expenses.
“Jenna will probably benefit from that,” says her mother. “In the form of braces.”
“I got four packs of Mr. Noodles,” laughs Jenna. “And an iPad mini, and a lot of fame.”
Jenna Gavin admits she’s also caught the world record bug, and if this record is broken, she’s looking forward to going out next year to catch an even bigger fish.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh.
