KAILUA, KONA, Hawai'i — California angler Robert Dudley on Tuesday landed a 973-pound Pacific blue marlin, the second largest fish ever caught in the 49-year history of the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament.

"It's a magnificent fish. What else can you say?" said Dudley, a member of the Laguna Niguel Billfish Club No. 2. "I felt good this morning, but I didn't feel lucky and lucky is all of it. There's a little bit of skill and I tell you this crew and skipper were absolutely picture perfect."

Aboard Marlin Magic II, with skipper Marlin Parker and crew members Tripp Davis and Carol Lynne, Dudley fought the fish for 2 hours and 20 minutes with 50-pound test line off the Kona Coast of the Big Island.

"That fish was not easy to deal with," Dudley said.

It was the largest fish caught during the tournament since the record 1,062.5-pound Pacific blue marlin was caught in 1986. That fish also was landed by a Laguna Niguel Billfish Club angler.

The tournament draws teams from as far away as New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Papua New Guinea and Japan. This year 26 teams are competing in the five-day competition that continues through Friday.