HAMILTON local, Bailey Morton was fishing in Port MacDonnell, South Australia last weekend when he caught a potentially record-breaking Southern bluefin tuna.

In the past, Bailey has caught Southern bluefin tuna weighing from about 10 to 120 kilograms.

Southern bluefin tuna over or about 100kg (a weight they rarely exceed) have been considered ‘barrels’ in southern Australia.

This time, Bailey’s catch was found to be weighing an astonishing 160kg.

“The fish was so heavy we couldn’t get it into the boat ourselves,” he said.

“My mate Jiles and I had to call another boat to come help us.”

Fish that large can take up to five excruciating hours to reel in, but for the group it was a mere 35 minutes.

“It felt amazing to catch it,” Bailey said.

His recent catch is currently pending to break the Game Fishing Association of Australia’s record for the heaviest Southern bluefin tuna to be caught on a 37kg line and only 8kg off breaking the world’s (International Game Fish Association) record for the heaviest Southern bluefin tuna caught on a 37kg line.

Bailey said, “In the next few years I’m planning to go fishing in Hawaii”.

“Fishing is my passion and past time,” he added.