Cedar Creek fishing guide Jason Barber is a burly guy who has tangled with some large fish over the years. Ask and he’ll tell you a blue catfish with a weight problem is no match for a heavyweight yellowfin tuna.

“They’re brutes,” Barber said. “They’ll definitely make you question your manhood.”

Barber should know. He joined the yellowfin century club on a muggy evening in late November.

Fittingly, the century club is a reserved for anglers who catch fish weighing upwards of 100 pound...