Record breaking tuna caught

Fishing tourist Mark Weeks with his record-breaking tuna, caught on a 16lb line.

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A RECORD-breaking tuna has highlighted the lure of sports fishing for tourism.

Mark Weeks was visiting the Fraser Coast from Tokyo when he went fly fishing with Mark Bargenquast from Fraser Guided Fishing this week.

Using a 16-pound line, Mr Weeks landed a massive long-tail tuna, the 18.2kg fish smashing the previous record of 13kg for a 16lb line.

Mr Weeks thanked his "superb guide" and said he had had an amazing time on his fishing holiday on the Fraser Coast.

"It was just a really good cast, it landed right in front of the fish and he took it," he said.

Mr Bargenquast said catches such as this were important to show people "what a terrific destination the Fraser Coast was for travelling anglers".

The tuna was 121cm in length and 62cm in girth, and was caught at about 12.30pm in Platypus Bay.