Over time, some remarkable catches are worth noting because of how large they were. From freshwater lakes to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, anglers have battled giants that push the limits of size and strength. These extraordinary catches showcase the incredible biodiversity of American waters. Also, the enduring spirit of sportfishing convinces every fisherman to keep on trying until they find their next big find.
19. Bigeye Tuna
This catch might be starting off this list with the smallest of them all, but that doesn’t mean it’s not impressive. In 1977, Cecil Browne set the Maryland state record for bigeye tuna by catching a massive 375 pounds 8 ounces specimen off the coast of Ocean City in the Atlantic Ocean. This catch remains one of the largest bigeye tunas ever recorded in U.S. waters, which is quite a feat.
18. Lemon Shark
Not many women made this list, but Colleen Harlow deserves a spot with her 405-lb catch in 1988. She caught this remarkable 94-inch shark off Buxton, North Carolina, using a Penn Senator rod paired with a 16/0 Penn Senator reel and an 80-pound line. She battled this shark for over three hours when she intended to do bottom fishing with a bluefish as bait.
17. Warsaw Grouper
Steve Haeusler set the all-tackle world record for the Warsaw grouper by landing a massive 436-pound, 12-ounce catch off the coast of Destin, Florida. This rod and reel catch was one for the books, and it took him 15 minutes to get his hands on. This fisherman never could have imagined that his catch record would still stand today.
16. Pacific Halibut
The waters were cold, the fight was long, but this fisherman didn’t back down. In 1996, Jack Tragis made angling history by catching a record-breaking Pacific halibut off Dutch Harbor, Alaska, weighing an incredible 459 pounds. This catch set the IGFA All-Tackle World Record and the Men’s 130 lbs Line Class World Record. If that’s not impressive, then we don’t know what it is.
15. Salmon Shark
This record might not be as long-standing as most of the mentions on this list, but it sure was a notable catch, to say the least. In 2009, Thomas Farmer caught a remarkable salmon shark weighing 461 pounds off the waters of Valdez, Alaska. It was a fight worth fighting when this fisherman reeled in the catch of a lifetime.
14. Sturgeon
Joey Pallotta made angling history by catching a giant white sturgeon weighing 468 pounds in San Pablo Bay, near San Francisco, California, in 1983. The massive fish measured 9 feet long with a girth of 5 feet and was estimated to be around 100 years old. Pallotta’s battle with the sturgeon lasted an intense five hours, during which he had to transfer to a larger boat for assistance as the fish was too large to bring aboard his 18-foot vessel. It was all worth it, seeing as his record is still strong today.
13. Blue Shark
This fisherman made history in Montauk Point, New York, when he caught a massive 528-pound Blue Shark. The impressive catch took over two hours and 30 minutes to reel in, but Joe Seidel didn’t back down for one minute. This is the largest rod-and-reel catch for the species, and the record has been standing strong since 2001.
12. Goliath Grouper
Not only did Lynn Joyner make way into the record books for catching this monster Goliath Grouper in 1961, but Joyner was one of the youngest anglers to land a fish of such immense size. This goliath grouper weighed 680 pounds, measuring 7 feet 1.5 inches long with a girth of 77 inches, proving just how remarkable this catch was. The catch was made using a 130-pound test line and Spanish mackerel as bait, and it had a battle lasting over an hour and fifteen minutes. Joyner’s feat remains the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle world record for the largest goliath grouper ever caught on rod and reel.
11. Dusky Shark
Warren Girle set the all-tackle world record in 1982 when he caught a 764-pound Dusky Shark off Longboat Key, Florida. The shark measured 117 inches in length and 72 inches in girth. You can be sure that this shark put up quite the fight, but in the end, it lost to a formidable fisherman. Girle used a Fenwick rod, a 9/0 Penn reel, and 130-pound Dacron line while drift fishing with a bonito as bait.
10. Mako Shark
This list might start small, but there’s nothing small about this catch. This shortfin mako shark was caught by Luke Sweeney on July 21, 2001, off the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts. After an intense three-hour battle aboard the smallest boat in the tournament, Sweeney and his crew managed to haul in a massive 1,221-pound mako shark, setting the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle world record for this species.
This shark put up quite the fight, but this fisherman’s endurance was worth it when he caught a life-changing fish.
9. Hammerhead Shark
2006 Captain Bucky Dennis made fishing history by landing a colossal great hammerhead shark off Boca Grande, Florida. After a grueling, nearly six-hour battle, Dennis and his crew secured a massive 1,280-pound, 14.5-foot shark, which shattered the species’ previous 24-year-old IGFA world record of 991 pounds. Once landed, the shark was weighed on a state-certified scale, confirming its record-breaking status.
Demonstrating respect for the species, Dennis later donated the giant hammerhead to the Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research. “We would give credit to the fisherman for donating, but we are not happy about killing a shark for no reason,” said John Tyminski, a senior biologist at the center.
8. Sixgill Shark
Clemens Rump made history when he caught a record-breaking sixgill shark weighing 1,298 pounds near Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The sixgill shark can grow up to 16 feet long and is known for its deep-water habitat and elusive nature, making this catch even more notable. This shark is also known as the cow shark due to its distinctive six gill slits, and anglers don’t usually encounter them.
7. Pacific Blue Marlin
This catch might seem like a long time ago, but it doesn’t take away from how remarkable it was, seeing as the record still stands 43 years later. On May 31, 1982, Jay de Beaubien set the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle world record for the largest Pacific blue marlin ever caught. Fishing off Kona, Hawaii, aboard the 43-foot Merritt No Problem, captained by Bobby Brown, de Beaubien hooked a massive marlin while trolling a silver and blue Kita lure near Kaaiwi Point.
The fight was intense, with the fish nearly emptying the reel in the first few minutes, but de Beaubien and his crew managed to bring the giant fish boat-side in just 40 minutes. The marlin was officially weighed at a shocking 1,376 pounds.
6. Atlantic Blue Marlin
This list isn’t nearly done, and there are some remarkable catches on here, including this one by Paulo Amorim on February 29, 1992. Caught off the coast of Vitoria, Brazil, Amorim’s colossal marlin weighed an astounding 1,402 pounds. It measured 162 inches in length, making it the heaviest Atlantic blue marlin ever recorded by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
The giant fish was caught using a pink-and-white Mold Craft Super Chugger lure after a grueling one-hour and twenty-minute battle, which was worth it in the end.
5. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
This might seem like a long time ago, but the legend still lives thanks to this catch by Ken Fraser on October 26, 1979, off the coast of Nova Scotia. Fraser hooked a colossal bluefin tuna that weighed an astonishing 1,496 pounds, making it the largest tuna ever caught on rod and reel according to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
Their battle lasted over 45 minutes with only an 80-pound test line. This record has stood undefeated for over four decades, showing how impressive this catch was.
4. Black Marlin
This catch is worth mentioning for a record that has been standing for over 73 years. Alfred C. Glassell Jr. made fishing history on August 4, 1953, when he caught a record-breaking black marlin off the coast of Cabo Blanco, Peru. Weighing an astonishing 1,560 pounds, this catch set the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle and 130-pound line class world records for the species, which still stand today despite advances in fishing technology.
He battled this monster fish for over two hours while fighting 49 leaps from the water, putting up quite a fight. Glassell’s legendary catch was so iconic that footage of the marlin’s acrobatics was featured in the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
3. Greenland Shark
In October 1987, Norwegian angler Terje Nordvedt made a remarkable catch when he caught the largest Greenland shark ever recorded on rod and reel in Trondheimsfjord, Norway. Using a herring as bait, Nordvedt reeled in a massive Greenland shark weighing 1,708 pounds 9 ounces. Greenland sharks are among the largest and longest-living sharks in the world, capable of reaching lengths up to 23 feet and lifespans of over 400 years.
These sharks aren’t often caught as they live in deep, cold waters, making encounters with them extremely rare.
1. White Shark
Finally, the biggest, baddest catch of them all, with a strong record. In 1959, Alfred Dean made history by catching the largest great white shark ever recorded on rod and reel, a monumental 2,664-pound specimen off the coast of South Australia near Ceduna. Using a 130-pound test line and just two large hooks, Dean battled the 17-foot shark for nearly an hour before finally subduing it, setting an International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle world record that still stands today.
This catch was so remarkable that no other angler has come close to beating this record. This is truly a catch worth being proud of.
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