"Hi Bill: Dan Hernandez had a fact sheet on his show last Sunday, reporting that the largest YFT caught on Rod/Reel is just under 400-lbs. (My son Ernie Jr. knows this record very well [388-lbs] & you should have seen his face light up and jaw drop to floor when he saw the record fish at Fisherman's landing a few years back). Dan's show then displayed a YFT fact sheet which reported that YFT can grow to over 850-lbs? My son said Dan was incorrect in displaying this figure. Can you please verify if in fact YFT grow to be over 800-lbs.? Thanks," Ernie Montano Sr. (by e-mail December 5, 2006)

Ernie: No yellowfin over 400 pounds has ever been reported as a sport-caught fish. I'm not aware of any that size for commercials, either. For a higher authority, I refer you to Dr. Kurt Schaefer of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission at the Scripps Institute in La Jolla. Here's what I believe is the most accurate list of big yellowfin, thanks to Rich Holland and others who keep such records. The 388 by Wiesenhutter is the official IGFA record.