The Surprising Tale of the Biggest Fish Ever Caught

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If you’ve spent much time around fishermen, you know that they all have one thing in common: the tendency to tell some very tall tales. It’s not uncommon at all for such folks to take ordinary tales of struggles against nature and transform them into epic fights with creatures that sound more like mythical beasts than simple fish. And the most common kind of tale is, of course, about “the one that got away.”

In these tall tales, there’s often a fish described as larger-than-life…the kind that would make an amazing trophy if not for the fact that it got away at the last minute. These stories can be entertaining, but after you hear enough of them, you can’t help but wonder: did any fisherman ever catch one of these mythically massive creatures?

As it turns out, yes! Over the years, the biggest fish in different categories have been captured and recorded. Such creatures and the men who caught them instantly become legends. Care to learn more about who these fish are and who managed to catch the uncatchable?

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know!

The biggest fish ever caught

Thanks to the film Jaws, countless people are afraid of sharks. They are especially terrified of great white sharks because films often portray them as unstoppable monsters. Thanks to that, it can be hard to imagine anyone taming such a creature long enough to catch it. However, Alfred Dean managed to pull off this incredible feat way back in 1959.

That was the year that Dean caught a massive shark off the coast of Australia. The shark in question clocked in at 2,664 pounds. It took a 130-pound test to bring this massive monster in, making Dean the man who officially caught the world’s biggest fish. And considering the legal protections great white sharks now enjoy around the world, nobody is likely to ever defeat this impressive record.

The second biggest fish ever caught

When you start researching fishing records, you’ll quickly notice that Australia is the place to go for the craziest stories. For example, the coast of this continent wasn’t just where the biggest fish in recorded history was caught. It was also where the second biggest was caught…in this case, a tiger shark weighing over 1,785 pounds.

This one was caught much more recently, too. In 2004, Kevin James Clapson managed to capture this bad boy, impressing the fishing community and the world at large. After all, tiger sharks are, like great whites, very likely to attack humans compared to other fish. Clapson effectively put his life on the line to make this capture, but it was worth it. That’s because Clapson now has two things every fisherman dreams of: a crazy story and a permanent place in fishing history!

The third biggest fish ever caught

Like we said, researching fishing records is a great way to discover more about the sport and more about these magnificent creatures. For example, the third biggest fish ever caught is one that most have never even heard of. We’re talking about the Greenland shark which calls the Arctic Ocean its home. Because of where this shark hangs out, most fishermen are unlikely to ever see it, helping the creature to retain its mystery appeal.

Of course, one man punctured that mystery back in 1978. This was the year that Terje Nordtvedt caught a Greenland shark while fishing off the coast of Norway. This shark clocked in at more than 1,708 pounds. Bringing it in was quite an honor, and judging from the man’s face, he was quite aware of that fact!

The fourth biggest fish ever caught

By now, you’ve probably noticed that no single type of fish dominates this list. There are several sharks, of course, but each one is a very different breed. And the fourth fish on our list isn’t a shark at all. In fact, the fourth biggest fish ever caught is a black marlin!

The marlin in this image is pretty famous in certain fishing circles. It weighed more than 1,560 pounds, and Alfred Glassell Jr. caught it off the coast of Cabo Blanco, Peru in 1953. And if the weight doesn’t give you an idea of just how big this fish is, check out the picture where its body is practically looming over the man who caught him!

The fifth biggest fish ever caught

Not every history-making fisherman loves to pose for the camera. For example, the man in this photo is Ken Fraser. At a glance, he looks like posing for a pic is almost painful. However, it’s entirely possible he was just tired after managing to haul in this massive fish!

In 1979, Fraser caught a Bluefin tuna which weighed in at 1,496 pounds. He caught it off the coast of Nova Scotia, setting a record that continues to inspire fishermen all around the world. But if anyone follows in his footsteps and catches a mammoth fish of their own, we can only hope they’re a little more prepared for the picture!