Due to expected rough sea conditions on Sunday Jim Zupanicic had not much interest in going on a fishing venture, although his neighbor was insistent they go. Zupancic's selflessness paid off, as the mornings conditions resulted in only 2-3 feet, and Zupancic and his guests caught a 183-pound yellowfin tuna.

"I had never caught a tuna fish before," said Zupancic, of Deerfield Beach, who was unable to identify the fish species until it came alongside his boat following a 45-minute battle. Zupancic, Kurt Otten, brother Joe and their father, Harold destined for the Boca Inlet.

They trolled ballyhoo and Ilander lures holding ballyhoo with the intentions of catching some dolphin. "Actually my goal was to just catch anything with those guys," Zupancic said. They were in 180 feet as the tuna fish hit the long outrigger line with ballyhoo at 7:30, dumping three quarters of the 80-pound line from the reel. Zupancic quickly cleared the other lines backing down on the fish, which, not having ever hooked a tuna fish before and thinking it may be an 80-pound king fish. During the fisherman's first 30 minutes they didn't gain any line on the fish, continuing a run, go deep, then run again.

The brothers handled the reeling, then Zupancic had to reel awhile. "I had to put full drag on it, which I despise doing on any fish, but I was unable to stop the fish," he said, who backed off the drag when the tuna stopped. When the fish finally tired and came to the boat, Zupancic gaffed the fish while three of them lifted it into the boat. Then they headed for home."The fish was so huge that it didn't fit inside the fish box and I didn't want it to go bad so we went back," said Zupancic, who weighed the massive fish at his dock." 30 people visited my house to get a look at the fish, they couldn't believe it. I gave a ton of it away. I'd much rather have people eat the fish fresh versus freezing it."