Catch of a lifetime: Massive bluefin tuna snagged by SoCal fishermen unusually close to coast

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A couple of Hawthorne fishermen are sharing the story behind their incredible, once-in-a-lifetime catch, just off the Southern California coast.

David Wilks and Dan Moenaert were just a couple miles off the coast of El Segundo when they got a huge surprise.

"I fought it for a half hour. I gave it to (David) and he fought it for almost another half hour," said Moenaert.

What they reeled in was a massive bluefin tuna weighing just over 178 pounds on an official scale at the Redondo Beach marina.

Typically, fishermen go 100 miles out for a catch like that.

"I've been here 25 years fishing these waters and I can't believe what I just experienced," said Wilks.