We could by no means actually know exactly what the largest fish ever caught was — or who caught it, or the place. The world’s waters are deep and mysterious locations, and the most effective fishermen are good at retaining secrets and techniques. That’s only one motive why any trendy listing of the world’s greatest catches contains some caveats.
If we’re basing this listing off dimension alone, we’d have to think about the 2-ton whale shark that Chinese language industrial fishermen reportedly netted by accident in 2014. However then we’d even have to incorporate the 661-pound big stingray that some angler-researchers tagged in Cambodia in 2023, and which edged out the previous Guinness World Record for the biggest freshwater fish ever caught. There are additionally loads of big fish which have been caught illegally and saved a secret, or caught and launched and by no means acknowledged. (Extra on this in a minute.)
So, for the sake of retaining issues easy, our official listing of the largest fish ever caught will solely embrace world-record sportfish that have been caught with a rod-and-reel and authorized by the International Game Fish Association. These are fish caught by only one angler, who adopted all of the universally-agreed upon fishing rules, and who took the time to submit their catches to the group for record-book consideration. Along with itemizing the 5 greatest fish of all time, all of which have been reeled in from the ocean, we’ll additionally have a look at the largest freshwater fish ever caught. Lastly, we’ll spherical out the listing of the largest fish ever caught with just a few honorable mentions, together with a few of the most highly-prized recreation fish species in North America.
A Word on Fishing Information
The IGFA has been retaining observe of the world’s sportfishing data because it was based in 1939. Its record book is continually up to date and incorporates almost each species of sportfish ever hooked on planet Earth. The IGFA acknowledges line-class data, that are based mostly on the breaking power of the fishing line used, together with catch-and-release data, during which fish are measured by size and have to be launched alive. Then there’s the holy grail of conventional fishing data: the all-tackle world data, which honor the heaviest fish ever caught with a rod-and-reel. To be thought-about on this class, all potential document fish have to be weighed on an authorized scale, they usually’re usually killed within the course of.
That is the place record-keeping will get a bit sophisticated, as some anglers right now would moderately launch their fish of a lifetime than be remembered for killing it. Take Captain Chip Michalove, for instance. In 2022 he caught and released a giant hammerhead shark off the coast of South Carolina. It could have simply crushed the state document, and it very properly might have beat out the all-tackle world document caught 16 years prior, however he didn’t care about both.
The Catch-and-Launch Catch
Then there’s Scott Enloe, the Colorado angler who caught and launched the brand new state-record lake trout in 2023 whereas fishing along with his son on Blue Mesa Reservoir. His laker also outweighed the all-tackle world record by roughly a pound, in line with his hand scale. However since confirming the load would have meant killing the fish (it wouldn’t slot in his stay properly), he selected to {photograph} and launch it as a substitute. Enloe advised Out of doors Life in Could that he would attempt to get the fish licensed by the IGFA as an all-tackle world document anyway, but it surely nonetheless hasn’t been accepted.
“I might have made it straightforward to place within the [IGFA] e book, however I’d have needed to kill it, and I used to be not going to kill that fish,” Enloe stated. “I’d like to have the world document, and it is the world document. But when we don’t get it … I do know what I caught, my son is aware of what I caught, and I’m okay with that.”
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So, as you learn the next entries, simply remember that a few of the greatest fish ever caught obtained away from the document books, making them tough to trace precisely right here.
The High 5 Largest Fish Ever Caught
Trying particularly on the IGFA’s listing of all-tackle world data, the largest fish ever caught (by far) was an ideal white shark. Rounding out the High 5 are 4 different saltwater species that every one topped 1,000 kilos. No. 4 and No. 5 additionally occur to be two of the world’s most sought-after saltwater recreation fish, whereas sharks occupy the opposite prime spots.
Bluefin Tuna – No. 5
True giants of the deep, bluefin tuna are modern, quick, and highly effective. Talking from expertise, they struggle more durable than simply about some other fish within the ocean. Their meat can also be probably the most sought-after delicacies within the sushi world, giving them the uncommon distinction of being the costliest edible fish on Earth. In 2019, a 613-pounder caught in Japan sold for $3.1 million at public sale.
The largest bluefin tuna ever caught, in line with the IGFA document e book, weighed greater than twice that. Caught by Ken Fraser in Nova Scotia waters in 1979, it tipped the scales at 1,496 kilos.
Black Marlin – No. 4
Marlin have every thing you’d ever need in a recreation fish. They develop big and struggle like hell. They’re additionally a feast for the eyes with their beautifully-colored sides and pointed payments. Black marlin are the biggest species within the marlin household. (Blue marlin are a detailed second, coming in simply behind bluefin tuna at No. 6 within the IGFA’s e book.)
The biggest black marlin ever caught can also be the fourth heaviest fish ever caught, in line with the IGFA. It weighed 1,560 kilos and was caught in Cabo Blanco, Peru, in 1953 by Alfred Glassell Jr.
Greenland Shark – No. 3
Coming in at No. 3 on the listing is a Greenland shark, a lesser-known species that lives within the Arctic Ocean and is never seen by most anglers. These sharks are additionally the longest-living vertebrates on the earth, reaching ages between 250 and 500 years outdated.
The all-tackle world record Greenland shark was caught in Norway in 1987 by Terje Nordtvedt. The shark ate a herring fished on the underside, and it tipped the scales at 1,708 kilos 9 ounces.
Tiger Shark – No. 2
The second largest fish ever caught and authorized by the IGFA is a tiger shark. Together with great white sharks and bull sharks, this species rounds out what some name the “Massive Three” — the three shark species most definitely to assault a human.
The all-tackle world record tiger shark weighed 1,785 kilos 11 ounces. It was caught in Australian waters in 2004 by Kevin James Clapson.
Nice White Shark – No. 1
The biggest great white shark ever caught weighed 2,664 kilos and was landed off Australia’s southern coast in 1959. Alfred Dean reeled within the monster shark on 130-pound check. He used a porpoise for bait.
That is additionally one of many extra fascinating fishing data for the easy reality that it’s going to possible by no means be damaged — at the very least, not anytime quickly. Nice white sharks are actually a protected species in many of the world’s oceans. They’re federally protected in U.S. waters, and it’s unlawful to reap them in lots of different locations as properly, which implies they’re now not accepted by the IGFA as potential world-record fish. You can also’t get away with utilizing porpoises or dolphins for bait nowadays, because it’s in opposition to the legislation in each U.S. and Australian waters to catch, kill, or in any other case harass these species.
The Largest Freshwater Sportfish Ever Caught
Large stingrays apart, the largest freshwater fish ever caught, in line with the Guinness Ebook of World Information, was a 646-pound Mekong big catfish. A workforce of fisherman in Thailand landed the fish after an hour-long battle, in line with National Geographic. And though they tried to maintain it alive, it died and was eaten by native villagers. Because the IGFA doesn’t acknowledge fish that have been landed by a number of anglers (the principles dictate that just one particular person can contact the rod throughout the battle), we’ll transfer down the listing to a different big catfish species that’s native to Europe and Asia.
Wels, the King of Catfish
The biggest freshwater catfish ever caught on a rod-and-reel and authorized by the IGFA was a 297-pound 9-ounce Wels catfish. European angler Attila Zsedely caught the all-tackle world document Wels from Italy’s River Po in 2010.
In 2023, Italian angler Alessandro Biancardi caught and released a massive Wels catfish from the identical river that was greater, lengthwise, than Zsedely’s fish. Biancardi’s fish measured 285 centimeters, whereas Zsedley’s measured 245 centimeters. This has led some to take a position that Biancardi’s catfish might have weighed upward of 300 kilos, which might have simply changed Zsedeley’s document. However since Biancardi launched the fish alive as a substitute of bringing it to an authorized scale, we’ll by no means know for positive.
A few of the different biggest record catfish from around the world embrace one other Mekong big catfish that was caught in Thailand in 2010 and was later licensed by the IGFA. That fish weighed 260 kilos.
The most important document catfish ever caught in North America was a blue catfish that weighed 143 kilos. Richard Nicholas Anderson caught the large blue cat in 2011 whereas fishing Kerr Lake in Virginia.
Honorable Mentions
We couldn’t make a correct listing of the largest fish ever caught with out together with just a few of North America’s most beloved recreation fish. Beginning with the largest species, we’ll work our approach from big sturgeon all the way down to black bass.
The Largest Sturgeon
The white sturgeon occupies a novel place on this listing as a result of it’s an anadromous fish that lives in each salt- and freshwater. Together with the eight different members of the sturgeon household, these historical fish are true dinosaurs. Scientists imagine they’ve been round for about 200 million years. Nevertheless, many of those species are actually thought-about endangered because of overfishing for the caviar commerce.
White sturgeon are the biggest species on this household, they usually’re faring a bit higher than a few of their cousins. They will nonetheless be caught in some bigger rivers on the West Coast (together with the Snake and Columbia Rivers), however they have to be launched alive. Which suggests the all-tackle world document for the species ought to stand for a while. That record sturgeon weighed 468 kilos, and was caught in a California bay in 1983.
The Largest Gar
One other residing dinosaur, alligator gar are a prehistoric species and the biggest members of the gar household. Till pretty lately, these toothy critters were vilified by anglers as a trash fish that ate extra fascinating recreation fish like bass and crappie. Due to this adverse notion — one which fisheries biologists have now debunked — they have been killed all through their native vary and even eradicated from some areas.
This angle has come full circle, with anglers now focusing on these freshwater giants in Texas and different components of the South as gamefish in their very own proper. The all-tackle world record alligator gar was caught within the Lone Star State in September 2023; it weighed 283 kilos. Amazingly, the angler who reeled within the world-record fish did so utilizing 6-pound check.
The Largest Muskie
Generally known as “the fish of 10,000 casts,” muskellunge (higher generally known as muskies) are notoriously tough to hook and land, which makes them probably the most prized sportfish on the continent. Muskies are the biggest members of the Esox household, which incorporates pike and pickerel.
The all-tackle world record muskie was caught in Wisconsin’s Lake Court docket Oreilles again in 1949. It weighed 67 kilos 8 ounces and ate a hard-bodied crankbait.
The Largest Salmon
Chinook (or king) salmon are the biggest of the world’s salmonids. Like sturgeon, these are anadromous fish which are born within the river, exit to sea, and return to the river to spawn. Sadly, this noble, ocean-going species is on the decline all through its native vary, with many runs listed as threatened or endangered.
The all-tackle world record Chinook salmon got here from the Kenai River in Alaska, and it weighed 97 kilos 4 ounces. Angler Les Anderson caught the fish drifting a spin-n-glo.
The Largest Trout
North American anglers love catching trout, and the continent is now house to greater than a dozen species, subspecies, and hybrids. This contains native fish like cutthroat and rainbow trout, together with the European brown trout that have been launched right here throughout the late nineteenth century.
The biggest of those species is the lake trout, which, like brook trout, are technically within the char household. Due to their gargantuan dimension, “lakers” have been extensively launched outdoors of their native vary — which incorporates Canada, Alaska, the Nice Lakes, and New England. The all-tackle world-record laker, in line with IGFA, weighed 72 kilos and was caught in Canada’s Northwest Territories. As talked about above, there’s a great probability that greater lakers have been caught however by no means acknowledged by the group.
The Largest Bass
Far surpassing trout by way of general recognition, largemouth bass are extensively thought-about North America’s favourite gamefish. The most important member of the black bass household, largemouths have been stocked by fish and recreation businesses throughout the nation, they usually can now be caught in just about each U.S. state outdoors of Alaska.
Not surprisingly because of their recognition, the largemouth bass document is without doubt one of the most coveted data within the angling world. The IGFA presently lists two bucketmouths as tied for the No. 1 spot, they usually every weighed 22 kilos 4 ounces. The primary world document was caught by George Perry in Georgia’s Montgomery Lake again in 1932, however that’s about all we learn about it. Only a few particulars exist about Perry’s catch and there are not any identified pictures of the fish. The more moderen world document was caught from a lake in Japan in 2009 by Manabu Kurita.
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Striped bass are one other beloved bass species which are focused by saltwater anglers up and down the East Coast. There are additionally wholesome populations of landlocked stripers within the U.S., however they don’t develop fairly as giant as their saltwater counterparts. The world-record striped bass was caught in Lengthy Island Sound in 2011. It weighed 81 kilos 14 ounces.
Extra Notable Largest Fish Ever Caught
Right here just a few extra big fish which are price recognition.
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Mako shark: 1,221 kilos, caught in Chatham, Massachusetts in 2001 throughout the Oak Bluffs Monster Shark Event.
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Flathead catfish: 123 kilos, caught in Elk Metropolis Reservoir in Kansas in 1998.
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Largest northern pike: 55 kilos, 1 ounce, caught in Germany in 1986.
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Largest walleye: 25 kilos, 4 ounces, caught in Outdated Hickory Lake, Tennessee, in 1960.
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Largest redfish: 94 kilos 2 ounces, caught in Hatteras, North Carolina in 1984.
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Largest tarpon: 286 kilos, 9 ounces, caught in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa in 2003. Nevertheless it’s potential that the crew from BlacktipH caught the largest unconfirmed tarpon.
Largest Fish Ever Caught FAQs
It is determined by how we outline the phrase “strongest.” It’s additionally pretty subjective. However when you have been to take a survey among the many saltwater anglers who frequently goal a few of the greatest fish within the ocean, most of them would in all probability say bluefin tuna. These fish have a status for making deep, blistering runs that’ll put on out even the hardest of anglers.
That is one other query that might generate a unending debate amongst anglers. On the subject of fishing in freshwater, steelhead (a rainbow trout that runs to the ocean and again) and muskies are a few of the most tough fish to catch. An inventory of the toughest fish to catch in saltwater would possible embrace marlin, sailfish, and different members of the billfish household, together with allow and Large Trevally.
The most important fish species on planet Earth is the whale shark. They will develop as much as 40 toes lengthy and weigh as much as 40 tons, in line with NOAA, they usually’re protected in lots of international locations. They’re categorised as fish and never whales, however like many whale species, whale sharks are filter feeders that eat plankton, krill, and different small organisms. This implies it’s nearly unattainable to catch them with a rod-and-reel, though they’re sometimes caught on accident by industrial fishermen utilizing gill nets.
There is no such thing as a such factor. The one fish that’s unattainable to catch is the one you by no means solid to.
Last Ideas
The most important fish ever caught on a rod-and-reel and authorized by the IGFA is a large nice white shark that was caught in Australia and weighed greater than 2,000 kilos. Each different fish within the High 5 got here from the ocean as properly.
There have additionally been loads of massive fish pulled from freshwater lakes and rivers all over the world. The most important of those are all catfish, and a few of the catfish species native to Europe and Asia far outweigh the large blue cats and big flatheads that we catch right here in North America. Among the best issues about fishing data, nonetheless, is that they’re continuously being damaged. Which suggests the largest fish on the earth remains to be on the market someplace.
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