World record catch likely

North Shore Constable Tineka Scott usually catches crooks.

But during a women’s fishing tournament while on a day off from serving in Tonga, she caught a Giant Trevally which could topple a 20-year-old world record.

Fishing out of Nuku’alofa in early August, she caught the 38.4kg fish on a 15kg line after an exhausting 100 minute fight.

“After an hour I was wondering how much longer it was going to take. I did the whole thing by myself. It was never going to get away,” Tineka says.

However the world record claim may be a little more elusive as it can take up to nine months to be ratified by the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) in Florida.

At the time of the catch, Fishing Tournament Director Bill Triffitt said the fish was “a clear record claim”.

Weighing in a women’s world record claim 38.4kg Giant Trevally.

Tineka with competition judge, Hon. Justice A. D. Ford.

Photos: Nuku’alofa Fishing Club

He confirmed with the IGFA that the current Giant Trevally women’s world record from Kiribati was 33.18kg, dating back to 1987.

“Our fish beats what we believe is the current ladies record for 15kg line class by about 5kg and there are no known record claims pending. As everything was done right in its capture and measurement I do not anticipate any problems having the claim recognised, it will just take time.

“It could be very good for the very small game fishing industry here, this kind of thing can attract a lot of international anglers.

It will certainly be the only record held in Nuku’alofa.

“We are overjoyed to have such a good record claim in the pipeline,” says Bill.

Tineka was fishing from ‘Blah Blah’ with skipper Kevin Yorwarth of the New Zealand Army, who is posted in Tonga as a Technical Advisor Mechanical to the Tonga Defence Services (TDS), when she hooked the Giant Trevally off the reefs near ‘Atata Island.

Tineka fights the Giant Trevally on board ‘Blah Blah’

“We gave the fish to the TDS to feed the troops,” Tineka says.

Tineka served in Tonga between early April and mid-August this year.