A California angler who landed a 36-pound, 10-ounce yellowtail at San Clemente Island in late July has been granted a women’s line-class world record.
Lisa Kitagawa’s catch, after a 25-minute battle on 12-pound-test line, shatters a record that had stood for nearly 34 years.
Kitagawa is a member of the Balboa Angling Club, which shared the International Game Fish Assn.’s announcement Friday via social media.
The announcement begins: “On July 19, 2022, Lisa Kitagawa landed this impressive 16.58-kilogram (36-pound, 10-ounce) California yellowtail on a live sardine, setting the IGFA Women’s 6-kg (12-lb) Line Class World Record for the species.”
Kitagawa was with Capt. Daron Muratyan aboard the Peruz when she landed the record catch.
California yellowtail are prized by anglers for their fighting ability and as table fare. They typically occur in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez and along the Pacific coast of Baja California, and off Southern California.
For comparison, the California state record for the species (on any line strength) is listed at 63 pounds, 1 ounce.
According to the IGFA, Kitagawa now holds four world records, including an all-tackle record for parrot sandbass (4 pounds).