EARLIER this year 10-year Makayla Buttigieg caught a pending Australian and World record marlin in the Small Fry category and now these records, as well as a heap of Australian and state records, have officially been approved.
The verification process set by the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) is very strict and requires having the fish weighed on certified scales, sending photos of the rod, reel and fish, sending samples of line used and having all witnesses sign a statutory declaration with their account.
The process then takes up to an agonising six months to be completed, but the end result is a World and Australian Small Fry record with a striped marlin weighing an impressive 147kg on 24kg line.
It is the biggest striped marlin ever caught by an angler her age and it was only four kilograms shy of the record for senior, female anglers.
The previous world record was caught in New Zealand in 2002 and weighed 132kgs. The fish was sent to the taxidermists and will end up on a wall in Makayla’s house
Last weekend Makayla attended the annual GFAA(Game Fishing Association of Australia) awards night in Cairns and her parents watched over as she was awarded by the president of the IGFA, Rob Kreamer with an amazing amount of awards.
Three South Australian, one Victorian, two NSW records as well as six GFAA Australian and 1 IGFA World Record. This was a combination of catching Southern Bluefin Tuna on 4, 6, 8 and 10kg line as well as her two marlin captures of 92.5kg on 15kg line and the 147kg on 24kg line.
Makayla’s father Darren said Makayla felt very privileged and overwhelmed to be surrounded by so many reputable and important people in the industry and it was a night she will never forget.
