Woman smashes NZ tuna record

by Michele McPherson | 24th August 2009

AT JUST 19 a Tauranga woman has landed the "catch of a lifetime", reeling in a record-breaking 281kg blue fin tuna.

Katherine Randrup was on a 36-hour fishing charter off the coast of Greymouth when she hooked the giant fish just before 1am on Friday morning.

Five seconds out from handing over the game fishing chair to her mum, Lynda, Miss Randrup hooked the big one and the boat erupted into a collective "we're on".

"That was my shift, from 12 to one and I hooked up at 12.55am."

Amazingly, it took Miss Randrup just 33 minutes to reel in the huge fish, in doing so smashing the New Zealand ladies blue fin tuna record of 223kg.

Within five minutes she was stripping off the layers of clothing and whacked her funny bone a couple of times as she did battle with a fish more than four times her own weight.

Miss Randrup, who is training to become a nurse, said she had been fishing with her family since she she was old enough to hold a fishing rod.

"I'm the Tiger Woods of fishing," she joked.

She is now looking to set a ladies world record with her catch and will send DNA samples as well as a sample of the line used to the International Game Fish Association in America.

Miss Randrup was lucky to land a spare spot on the charter, held during the famous Greymouth hoki season, when the large fish migrate to Greymouth waters.

The catch she says was a team effort, with it taking five people and three gaffs to get the fish onto the boat.

"You could never do this by yourself, it is a team sport," she said.

Once the tuna was safely on board "Cerveza" the skipper grabbed Miss Randrup in his arms and lifted her up before she bent down to give her fish a big kiss.

After weigh-in and celebrations a mould was made of the fish, which Miss Randrup plans to hang with pride in her Pyes Pa home.

It was then cut up to be enjoyed by Greymouth locals as well as the Randrup family.

Miss Randrup said listening in class had been a bit difficult since the big catch.

"I'm not listening to the teacher and every now and then I get a big smile on my face. I can't believe I reeled in something that big," she said. "It's the most happy feeling I've ever felt in my life."