Kayak fishing world records are poorly recorded and vehemently argued, but some records are unquestionable. Raf Vargas’ 170-pound dogtooth tuna, caught off the coast of Guam, is an island record and possibly an IGFA World Record.

One of the largest pedal-out fish, Vargas’ catch was fooled, hooked and landed without assistance. Then he caught a ride back to shore. Who needs kayak fishing records when paddle and pedal anglers are breaking world records?

Who

I learned how to fish for bass when the Air Force stationed me in Louisiana. Then, I was transferred to Nebraska where I started a bass tournament series. Now, I’m stationed in Guam and I’ve turned my attention to offshore pelagics.

Working with local anglers, we’ve pushed the limit of kayak fishing. This year, I hooked up with a group of Japanese anglers who specialize in slow-pitch jigging, dropping special lures up to a 1,000 feet deep.

[Also Read: Best Ocean Fishing Kayaks]

What

Dogtooth tuna are one of the most respected bluewater bruisers. Anglers all over the world list this snaggle-tooth silver missile at the top of their life list.

Dogtooth tuna aren’t really tuna. More closely related to bonita, dogtooth tend to live around reef structures instead of traveling the world like their pelagic cousins. I’ve caught a few dogtooth tuna and lost many more to their sharp teeth.

Where

You can catch dogtooth on the reef with topwater poppers or light jigs, but I usually fish in water from 300 to 1,200 feet deep. This day, I was fishing over a steep drop bottoming out at 750 feet. I dropped 700 feet and made two bounces when the dogtooth slammed my lure.

When

Fishing had been slow. After five hours without a bite, I turned to pedal four miles back to the launch site. On the way in I marked a dramatic precipice on the fish finder, I stopped to investigate. I dropped the jig and the fish piled on in seconds.

[ Also read: What Happens When A Bass Fisherman Enters Blue Water ]

I fought the fish for almost two hours. I couldn’t let go of my rod long enough to get a drink of water. When I saw the size of the fish, I realized I had another problem: how would it fit in my kayak? Exhausted, with the wind picking up to 20 knots, I slid the six-foot fish into my Hobie Pro Angler 14.

Why

Shortly after I posted photos of the fish on social media, a representative from Guam’s Department of Agriculture called to tell me I set a new island record.

Then, people started saying the catch is a kayak fishing first. The next day, I contacted the International Game Fish Association about a possible world record. They coached me on filling the forms and sending data, measurements and line from my reel.

I am waiting for the results. My social media posts and videos have gone viral and the story has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world. My dogtooth tuna was 170 pounds and 75 inches to the tip of the tail.

Regardless of IGFA’s decision, this fish is my biggest catch and the fish of a lifetime.

Playing catch with Man’s best friend. Photo: Raf Vargas

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Ric Burnley
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley has been kayak fishing since the dawn of the sport. In 2007, Burnley wrote The Complete Kayak Fisherman, with chapters on how-to make a PVC rod holder and glue a fish finder transducer to the hull. In 2013, he landed his dream job as editor of Kayak Angler magazine. Burnley is a regular contributor to Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Outdoor Life, In the Bite and other print and online publications. Burnley lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, adult daughter, daughter’s boyfriend and daughter’s two cats. Experience In 2004, Ric Burnley stole his first milk crate from behind a 7-Eleven and fashioned it into a gear crate for his Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Many years and many milk crates later, Burnley has witnessed the rise of kayak fishing from a bastardized fringe element to a legitimate industry with millions of devotees. The journey to becoming an angler started early in Burnley’s life. His father, Eric Burnley, is a renowned outdoor writer and former fishing guide, so the boy grew up in the cockpit of a charter boat and in the pages of national magazines. After college, Burnley lost easy access to his father’s boat, but not his passion for fishing. Once he had exhausted the limits of land-based angling, Burnley decided to try out a new thing called kayak fishing. About the same time, Burnley was looking for extra work to pay for his expensive addiction. His father, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman Magazine, offered him freelance assignments for the weekly publication. That led to a position as regional editor at Salt Water Sportsman, publication of The Complete Kayak Fisherman and editorship of Kayak Angler. Meanwhile, Burnley and his partner-in-crime, “Kayak Kevin” Whitley were exploring the boundaries of kayak fishing. With the bountiful Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as their playground, the two anglers were the first to target big red drum, cobia, trophy striped bass, monster black drum, sheepshead and many other species. Once inshore species were exhausted, Burnley loaded his kayak onto motorboats and fished for bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, king mackerel and amberjack. All the while, Burnley shared his experiences and knowledge with anglers through print, photos, video, radio, seminars and online. Almost 20 years later, Burnley continues to fish obsessively and share the stories. His recent projects for Kayak Angler cover the latest trends in forward-facing sonar and remote-controlled electric motors. Over the past two decades, kayak fishing and Ric Burnley have come a long way from PVC rod holders and stolen milkcrates. Education ● Radford University: BA English; Virginia Teacher’s License. Highlights ● Other Interests: Mountain biking, traveling, hiking, surfing and skateboarding ● Day Job: High School English teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students Fun Fact Ric’s name is a contraction of Eric. Ric is named after his father, Eric Sr. To differentiate between the two Erics, Mrs. Burnley removed her son’s E. To this day, she writes the boy’s name ‘Ric, with an apostrophe replacing the E.

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