PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Nearly a year after David L. Esslinger hauled an 884-pound Atlantic bluefin tuna out of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officially confirmed the catch as a new state record, according to a March 31, 2026, news release.
Esslinger, of Houston, landed the fish on April 10, 2025, surpassing the previous state record of 876 pounds set by Troy Lancaster in 2021. The record was confirmed this week through the department’s Angler Recognition Program, which tracks fishing records set by anglers in Texas waters.
Esslinger was fishing with a group of friends, including Colby Denbow, of Port Arthur, when the fish struck, setting off a five-hour battle before the crew managed to bring the massive tuna alongside the boat…