5 of the Most Impressive Fishing World Records
Bigger isn’t always better—but when it comes to catching fish and setting records, size definitely matters. When it comes to deep-sea anglers, who hunt some of the largest pelagic species in existence, the bragging rights that come with landing an oversized fish can last a lifetime. There’s a reason every fisherman—and woman—has learned to hold their catch out in front of them when it comes time for photographic proof, earning themselves that extra bit of perceived size that comes from positioning a fish closer to the camera than their body. And don’t even get us started on the classic “fish story” cliché—the inevitable exaggeration of the size of every fish that has ever managed to get away.
There’s no arguing the fact that, when it comes to fishing, big fish are often the goal—at least relative to the species’ typical size. Some anglers set out after the biggest species they can find, in hopes of setting an overall personal size record, while others might hunt smaller types of fish but hope to hook the biggest ever caught for a species record. Regardless of the type of fish being hunted, catching a big one is typically a badge of honor.
The following list of world record fish includes the biggest ever caught of these particular species—not to mention some of the most impressive catches of all time. In fact, many of these records may never be topped.
1. Bluefin Tuna: 1,496 Pounds
The second largest fish ever to be caught that wasn’t a shark, this bluefin tuna was caught by Ken Fraser in Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia, in 1979. It is considered to be one of the most noteworthy catches on rod and reel in history. Not only is it the world record for the species (and one of the biggest fish ever caught, regardless of the species), it took Fraser only 45 minutes to reel in the beast after baiting it with a mackerel.
2. Atlantic Blue Marlin: 1,402 Pounds
The largest Atlantic blue marlin ever caught by hand was a 1,402-pound behemoth nabbed by Paolo Amorim in Vitoria, Brazil, in 1992. Not only has this world record held for more than 30 years, but the catch was extra special because Amorim caught the marlin on February 29—a leap year day that only comes around once every four years.
3. Swordfish: 1,182 Pounds
Sometimes it’s not just about how big a fish is, but also how much bigger it is than the previous world record. Perhaps the greatest example of this is Lou Marron’s 1,182-pound swordfish, which he battled for two hours off the coast of Iquique, Chile, before finally boating the massive fish on a fateful day in 1953. Lou’s swordfish was the largest ever caught, a record that has endured for over seven decades. But even more impressive was the fact that the previous largest swordfish ever caught was more than 500 pounds lighter than the new (and still reigning) world record.
4. Largemouth Bass: 22 Pounds, 4 Ounces
This fish might be tiny compared to everything else on this list, but what makes this record so interesting is that the two fishermen tied for first are from completely different parts of the world, and separated by over 70 years. Also noteworthy is the fact that their catches are so much bigger than the next largest largemouth bass that it is likely their shared record will never be broken. George W. Perry caught his 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass in Montgomery Lake, Georgia, in 1932. Since then, only one other largemouth bass over 20 pounds had ever been caught (a 21-pound, 12-ouncer from Lake Castaic in 1991)—until, that is, Japanese fisherman Manabu Kurita caught his own 22-pound, 4-ounce beast in Lake Biwa Shiga in 2009.
5. Great White Shark: 3,427 Pounds
When it comes to the largest fish of any species that has ever been caught, it’s only natural that it would be a great white shark, considering this is the biggest fish species in the oceans that actually takes bait (the whale shark and basking shark are both filter feeders, and are not commonly caught by anglers). Frank Mundus and Donnie Braddick caught the enormous apex predator in New York in 1986. However, some people consider this record to be controversial, since the anglers waited alongside a whale carcass that was being feasted on by sharks (the International Game Fish Association doesn’t condone the use of whale carcasses to attract game fish). Depending on if and how they used the carcass to attract the shark, the record could arguably be voided. Mundus and Braddick both claim that the catch was legitimate and didn’t violate the International Game Fish Association’s rules, but some people disagree.
The second largest fish ever caught (and the largest without an asterisk beside it) was also a great white shark—a 2,664-pounder landed by Alfred Dean in Ceduna, Australia, in 1959. Considering the fact that great white sharks are now a protected species, it is unlikely that a larger fish will ever be caught.