‘When I felt the pull [of the fish on the line] I knew how big this thing was, but when it came up to the surface, I [realised] it was even bigger,’ Jakim told Nine News.

‘…When it came in, it was bigger than me. It was so tall.

‘I am still sore in my arms… I told my good friend and he was amazed.’

His proud dad, Matthew, said the tuna is the biggest fish ever caught on his boat.

‘He holds the record now… We normally let them go, but being his first fish and such a memorable one, we thought we would make the most of it,’ he said.

Family friend Phillip Pirotta shared videos of Jakim struggling to reel in the fish and photos of him standing next to the prize catch.

‘It was young Jakim’s turn on the rod and all I can say is what a machine!,’ he wrote.

‘Jakim fought the fish completely on his own from start to finish for one hour before putting his fish on the deck, he had never been in a harness before and was impressive to watch.

‘I’m sure that’s one he’s not going to forget for a long time!’

Apollo Bay is marketed as the best place to catch bluefin tuna along Victoria’s Great Ocean Rd with the species commonly found around the state’s southwest.

Bluefin in Victoria can grow up to 2.45m-long and weigh 260kg.

However, the fish are typically caught at about 1.8m-long and 100kgs – making Jakim’s a rare catch.