Yeah, I saw photos on IG of that catch. What a bruiser!
Unfortunately, the FSH is a terrible boat for fighting ocean pelagics like tuna. I wouldn't consider myself an expert offshore angler by any stretch, but I can say that I've lost more Blackfin, Bluefin, and Mahi — 1/20th the size of that record Bluefin — on my FSH than I've boated. ?
Catching even a 40 lb pelagic requires incredible coordination between the crew members, a skillful captain, and a boat designed for fighting big fish — none of which describes what my fishing buddies and I have! ?
The FSH lacks toe-rails, coaming at the transom, and cockpit space for a fighting chair... and the FSH's big swim deck becomes a liability. The FSH also doesn't have any reverse authority. Therefore, you can't back-down on a fish during an end run, which means you have to whip the boat around to follow the fish while maintaining tension on the line without breaking off. But any end-run maneuver, whether turning or accelerating forward, can break off the fish if not done properly, or worse, throw your crew over the coaming-less transom.
With that said — last year, the winner of the Pensacola International Billfish Tournament and Marlin Magazine's Marlin Madness Gulf Coast bracket was a well-worn Century 29 walkaround with twin outboards out of Perdido. Aquaviva bested dozens of multimillion-dollar Viking and Hatteras sportfishing yachts! So I really have no excuse for losing so many fish on my boat!