"When the scale hit that number it was like the Super Bowl here," said Livingston, 63, a retired school administrator, in reference to cheers from a crowd of nearly 200, gathered to witness the weigh-in.

The Vagabond, an 80-foot deluxe sportfisher, had been on a 10-day expedition in search of "super cows," or tuna weighing 300 pounds or more. Livingston's catch was made last Tuesday west of Magdalena Bay on the southern Baja California peninsula.

Lackey had estimated the tuna's weight at 390 pounds, using a tape-measure formula that is not always accurate. He then froze the fish to preserve it until the boat returned to its home port at Point Loma Sportfishing.