A big thank you to the folks over at International Game Fish Association for compiling the data that helped build our World Record Saltwater Fish and World Record Freshwater Fish chart. If you are a fan of fishing, then you already love the challenge of finding fish, targeting them, and then vying to catch them.
The untold story of this article is very much the thrill of battling a monster fish only to find out it is the biggest fish of its kind ever caught, and it’s on the end of your rod. What has not been said is that any angler with a line in the water can break any of these saltwater fish records or freshwater fish records. So, if you are interested in adding your name to the list of record holders, you’d better get to fishing.
World Record Fish Weights Chart Type Weight Caught by Location Date African Pompano 50lbs 8oz Tom Sargent Daytona Beach, FL 21-Apr-90 Albacore 88lbs 2oz Siegfried Dickemann Gran Canaries, Canary Islands 19-Nov-77 Almaco (Pacific) Jack 132lbs Howard H. Hahn La Paz, Baja Calif., Mexico 21-Jul-64 American Eel 9lbs 4oz Jeff Pennick Cape May, NJ 9-Nov-95 Atlantic Bigeye Tuna 392lbs 6oz Dieter Vogel Gran Canaria, Puerto Rico 25-Jul-97 Atlantic Blue Marlin 1402lbs 2oz Paulo R.A. Amorim Vitoria, Brazil 29-Feb-92 Atlantic Bonito 18lbs 4oz D. Gama Higgs Faial Island, Azores 8-Jul-53 Atlantic Cod 98lbs 12oz Alphonse Bielevich Isle of Shoals, NH 8-Jun-69 Atlantic Halibut 255lbs 4oz Sonny Manley Gloucester, MA 28-Jul-89 Atlantic Sailfish 141lbs 1oz Alfredo de Sousa Neves Luanda, Angola 19-Feb-94 Barred Sand Bass 13lbs 3oz Robert Halal Huntington Beach, CA 29-Aug-88 Bigeye Thresher Shark 802lbs Dianne North Tutukaka, New Zealand 8-Feb-81 Black Drum 113lbs 1oz Gerald M. Townsend Lewes, DE 15-Sep-75 Black Marlin 1560lbs A.C. Glassell Jr. Cabo Blanco, Peru 4-Aug-53 Black Sea Bass 9lbs 8oz Joe Mizelle Jr. Virginia Beach, VA 9-Jan-87 Black Sea Bass 9lbs 8oz Jack G. Stallings Jr. Virginia Beach, VA 22-Dec-90 Blackfin Tuna 45lbs 8oz Sam J. Burnett Key West, FL 4-May-96 Blue Runner 11lbs 2oz Stacey M. Moiren Dauphin Island, AL 28-Jun-97 Blue Shark 454lbs Pete Bergin Martha’s Vineyard, MA 19-Jul-96 Bluefin Tuna 1496lbs Ken Fraser Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia 26-Oct-79 Bluefish 31lbs 12oz James M. Hussey Hatteras, NC 30-Jan-72 Bonefish 19lbs Brian W. Batchelor Zululand, South Africa 26-May-62 Cabezon 23lbs Wesley Hunter Juan de Fuca Strait, WA 4-Aug-90 California Halibut 53lbs 4oz Russell J. Harmon Santa Rosa Island, CA 7-Jul-88 Cero Mackerel 17lbs 2oz G. Michael Mills Islamorada, FL 5-Apr-86 Crevalle Jack 57lbs 14oz Leon D. Richard Southwest Pass, LA 15-Aug-97 Cobia 135lbs 9oz Peter W. Goulding Shark Bay, W. Australia 9-Jul-85 Conger 133lbs 4oz Vic Evans South Devon, England 5-Jun-95 Cubera Snapper 121lbs 8oz Mike Hebert Cameron, LA 5-Jul-82 Dolphin 87lbs Manuel Salazar Papagallo Gulf, Costa Rica 25-Sep-76 European Bass 20lbs 11oz Jean Baptiste Bayle Stes Maries de la Mer, France 6-May-86 Giant Sea Bass 563lbs 8oz J.D. McAdam Jr. Anacapa Island, CA 20-Aug-68 Great Barracuda 85lbs John W. Helfrich Christmas Is., Rep. of Kiribati 11-Apr-92 Great White Shark 2664lbs Alfred Dean Ceduna, S. Australia 21-Apr-59 Greater Amberjack 155lbs 10oz Joseph Dawson Challenger Bank, Bermuda 24-Jun-81 Greenland Shark 1708lbs 9oz Terje Nordtvedt Trondheimsfjord, Norway 18-Oct-87 Haddock 14lbs 15oz Heike Neblinger Saltraumen, Germany 15-Aug-97 Hammerhead Shark 991lbs Allen Ogle Sarasota, FL 30-May-82 Horse-eye Jack 24lbs 8oz Tito Schnau Miami, FL 20-Dec-82 Jewfish 680lbs Lynn Joyner Fernandina Beach, FL 20-May-61 Kawakawa 29lbs Ronald Nakamura Clarion Island, Mexico 17-Dec-86 King Mackerel 90lbs Norton I. Thomton Key West, FL 16-Feb-76 Lingcod 69lbs Murray M. Romer Langara Is., British Columbia 16-Jun-92 Little Tunny 35lbs 2oz Jean Yves Chatard Cape de Garde, Algeria 14-Dec-88 Longtail Tuna 79lbs 2oz Tim Simpson Montague Is., NSW, Australia 12-Apr-82 Marbled Eel 36lbs 1oz Ferdie van Nooten Durban, South Africa 10-Jun-84 Mexican Barracuda 21lbs E. Greg Kent Phantom Island, Costa Rica 27-Mar-87 Mediterranean Spearfish 90lbs 13oz Joseph Larkin Madeira Island, Portugal 2-Jun-80 Pacific Amberjack 104lbs Richard Cresswell Baja Calif., Mexico 4-Jul-84 Pacific Bigeye Tuna 435lbs Dr. Russell Lee Cabo Blanco, Peru 17-Apr-57 Pacific Blue Marlin 1376lbs Jay W. deBeaubien Kaaiwi Point, Kona, HI 31-May-82 Pacific Bonito 14lbs 12oz Jerome H. Rilling San Benitos Is., Baja CA 12-Oct-80 Pacific Cod 32lbs Donald Boston Unalaska Bay, AK 29-Jun-97 Pacific Halibut 459lbs Jack Tragis Dutch Harbor, AK 11-Jun-96 Pacific Sailfish 221lbs C.W. Stewart Santa Cruz Is., Ecuador 12-Feb-47 Permit 56lbs 2oz Thomas Sebestyen Ft. Lauderdale, FL 30-Jun-97 Pickhandle Barracuda 25lbs 5oz Demetrios Stamatis Scottburgh, South Africa 3-Jul-96 Pollack 27lbs 6oz Robert S. Milkins Salcombe, Devon, England 16-Jan-86 Pollock 50lbs Thor-Magnus Ukang Salstraumen, Norway 30-Nov-96 Porbeagle Shark 507lbs Christopher Bennet Pentland Firth, Scotland 9-Mar-93 Rainbow Runner 37lbs 9oz Tom Pfleger Clarion Island, Mexico 21-Nov-91 Red Drum 94lbs 2oz David G. Deuel Avon, NC 7-Nov-84 Red Snapper 50lbs 4oz Capt. Doc Kennedy Gulf of Mexico, LA 23-Jun-96 Roosterfish 114lbs Abe Sackheim La Paz, Baja Calif., Mexico 1-Jun-60 Shortfin Mako Shark 1115lbs Patrick Guillanton Black River, Mauritius 16-Nov-88 Skipjack Tuna 45lbs 4oz Brian Evans Flathead Bank, Mexico 16-Nov-96 Snook 53lbs 10oz Gilbert Ponzi Parismina Ranch, Costa Rica 18-Oct-78 Southern Bluefin Tuna 348lbs 5oz Rex Wood Whakatane, New Zealand 16-Jan-81 Southern Flounder 20lbs 9oz Larenza Mungin Nassau Sound, FL 23-Dec-83 Spanish Mackerel 13lbs Robert Cranton Ocracoke Inlet, NC 4-Nov-87 Spotted Seatrout 17lbs 7oz Craig F. Carson Ft. Pierce, FL 11-May-95 Striped Bass 78lbs 8oz Albert R. McReynolds Atlantic City, NJ 21-Sep-82 Striped Marlin 494lbs Bill Boniface Tutakaka, New Zealand 16-Jan-86 Summer Flounder 22lbs 7oz Charles Nappi Montauk, NY 15-Sep-75 Swordfish 1182lbs L. Marron Iquique, Chile 7-May-53 Tarpon 283lbs 4oz Yvon Victor Sebag Sherbro ls., Sierra Leone 16-Apr-91 Tautog 24lbs Gregory R. Bell Wachapreague, VA 25-Aug-87 Tiger Shark 1780lbs Walter Maxwell Cherry Grove, SC 14-Jun-64 Wahoo 158lbs 8oz Keith Winter Loreto, Baja Calif., Mexico 10-Jun-96 Warsaw Grouper 436lbs 12oz Steve Haeusler Gulf of Mexico, Destin, FL 22-Dec-85 Weakfish 19lbs 2oz Dennis R. Rooney Jones Beach, Long Island, NY 11-Oct-84 Weakfish 19lbs 2oz William E. Thomas Delaware Bay, DE 20-May-89 White Marlin 181lbs 14oz Evandro Luiz Coser Vitoria, Brazil 8-Dec-79 White Seabass 83lbs 12oz L.C. Baumgardner San Felipe, Mexico 31-Mar-53 Yellowfin Tuna 388lbs 12oz Curt Wiesenhutter San Benedicto Island, Mexico 1-Apr-77
What’s The Biggest Saltwater Fish Ever Caught?
When you start to think about this question, it becomes insanely mind-boggling. The ocean and rivers have many options for fish that grow THAT large. If you were to set sail to fish with the singular goal of catching the world’s largest fish, where would you go? What would you target? What kind of gear would you use? What about baits and lures? Many of these records must come from people who answered those questions. Sure, there could be a portion of successful world record fishing that is purely chance, but it seems more likely that our world record fish chart is full of calculated thinking, plotting, and preparation.
The Biggest Saltwater Fish Ever Caught was a 2,664 pound Great White Shark. The record was set in 1959 by Alfred Dean off the coast of Ceduna, Australia. What separates this enormous achievement from other world records is about 900 pounds of fish. Many of the most significant sea fish records are over 1,000 pounds (1/2 of a ton,) but Alfred’s giant Great White Shark is the only fish on the world record fish list to achieve a weight that is over 2,000 pounds. To be quite honest, his Great White is only 336 pounds away from 3,000 pounds.
Florida Saltwater Fishing Records — Conventional Tackle
Species Angler Catch Date Weight Catch Location African pompano Tom Sargent 04/21/1990 50.50 lbs. Daytona Beach Almaco jack Lewis Sapp 10/23/2016 35.56 lbs. Destin Atlantic bonito Adam Fisk 03/22/2015 9.13 lbs. Boca Raton Atlantic croaker Anthony de Foster 12/15/2002 4.94 lbs. St. Lucie Bar jack Martin Arostegui 12/18/1999 7.75 lbs. Miami Bigeye tuna Anthony Beau Kelly 03/14/2020 194.80 lbs. Juno Beach Black drum James E. Cartwright 04/12/2001 96.00 lbs. Fernandina Beach Black grouper Donald W. Bone 01/27/1990 113.38 lbs. Dry Tortugas Black sea bass Mrs. R.H. Martin 07/21/1956 5.06 lbs. Panama City Blackfin tuna Sam J. Burnett 05/04/1996 45.50 lbs. Key West Blacktip shark Darlene Rees 10/29/1987 152.13 lbs. Sebastian Blue marlin Conrad E. Hawkins 07/14/2001 1,048.88 lbs. Panama City Blue runner Kevin Siverly 06/16/1995 8.31 lbs. Pensacola Bluefin tuna Rick Whitley 05/08/2017 826.50 lbs. Gulf of Mexico Bluefish Liz Yates 03/19/1973 22.13 lbs. Jensen Beach Blueline tilefish Vacant Bonefish Robert Schroeder 03/19/2007 16.19 lbs. Islamorada Bull shark Gregory K. Burnett 10/01/1981 517.44 lbs. Panama City Bch Cero G. Michael Mills 05/05/1986 17.13 lbs. Islamorada Cobia Peter McCollester 03/21/1997 130.06 lbs. Destin Crevalle jack Gerald John Washburn 05/18/1993 57.00 lbs. Jupiter Cubera snapper Billy Graham 07/26/1979 116.38 lbs. Clearwater Dolphinfish Robert Vail 06/09/2007 81.00 lbs. Lantana Dusky shark Warren Girle 05/28/1982 764.25 lbs. Longboat Key Florida pompano Barry Huston 10/16/1999 8.25 lbs. Port St. Joe Flounder Larenza W. Mungin 12/23/1983 20.56 lbs. Nassau County Gafftopsail catfish Dale Jordan 03/14/2013 9.00 lbs. Jupiter Gag Bill Smith 10/14/1993 80.38 lbs. Destin Goliath grouper Lynn Joyner 05/20/1961 680.00 lbs. Fernandina Beach Gray (mangrove) snapper Steve Maddox 06/14/1992 17.00 lbs. Port Canaveral Gray triggerfish Kenneth Baker 04/28/2012 13.25 lbs. Pensacola Great barracuda Harold K. Goodstone 01/29/1949 67.00 lbs. Islamorada Greater amberjack W. A. Colbert, Jr. 02/03/1979 142.13 lbs. Islamorada Hammerhead shark Capt. Bucky Dennis 05/05/2009 1,063.75 lbs. Boca Grande Hardhead catfish Ethan Pillitteri 01/04/2018 4.50 lbs. Port Charlotte Hogfish Robert E. Batson 04/28/1962 19.50 lbs. Daytona Beach Horse-eye jack Sharon Kartrude Pryel 01/10/2017 26.00 lbs. Juno Beach King mackerel Norton I. Thomton 02/16/1976 90.00 lbs. Key West Ladyfish Lorie Elliot 08/02/2005 6.25 lbs. Cocoa Beach Ladyfish Allen Escuage 10/16/2018 8.25 lbs. Jupiter Lane snapper Ken Jones 04/18/1991 6.38 lbs. Pensacola Lemon shark Richard M. Guccione 04/29/1977 397.44 lbs. Dunedin Little tunny William E. Allison 04/20/1976 27.00 lbs. Key Largo Longbill spearfish Ted Damiano 04/29/1981 61.50 lbs. Islamorada Mako shark Audrey Cohen 04/09/1962 911.75 lbs. Palm Beach Mutton snapper Richard Casey 11/29/1998 30.25 lbs. Dry Tortugas Nassau grouper Nicholas F. Grecco 01/28/2007 9.00 lbs. Marathon Key Permit Thomas Sebestyen 06/30/1997 56.13 lbs. Ft. Lauderdale Rainbow runner Alan Richbell 09/28/2003 23.00 lbs. Boynton Beach Red drum George E. Hogan, Jr. 02/24/1996 52.31 lbs. Cocoa Red grouper Del Wiseman, Jr. 03/09/1997 42.25 lbs. St. Augustine Inlet Red porgy Clayton Fridell 04/28/2019 4.10 lbs. St. Augustine Red snapper Lane Nichols III 10/01/1985 46.50 lbs. Destin Sailfish Larry Maier 06/13/2009 126.00 lbs. Big Pine Key Scamp Braden Douglas Pursell 04/03/2002 28.38 lbs. Mayport Schoolmaster Vacant Sheepshead Eugene Lechler 01/29/1981 15.13 lbs. Homosassa Skipjack tuna Frank Digiovanni 07/21/1998 33.50 lbs. Islamorada Snook Heather Lynn Connors 08/23/2015 45.75 lbs. Sebastian Spanish mackerel John F. Colligan 11/27/1984 12.00 lbs. Ft. Pierce Speckled hind Russell George Perry 10/21/1994 52.50 lbs. Destin Spinner shark Mrs. Gladys Prior 04/03/1986 190.00 lbs. Flagler Beach Spotted seatrout Craig F. Carson 05/11/1995 17.44 lbs. Ft. Pierce Striped bass (saltwater) Carl R. Jackson 01/03/2004 43.56 lbs. Indian River Swordfish Stephen Stanford 05/07/1978 612.75 lbs. Key Largo Tarpon Gus Bell 02/17/1975 243.19 lbs. Key West Thresher shark James Weil 09/15/1994 544.50 lbs. Destin Tiger shark Richard Baggs 06/20/1981 1,069.06 lbs. Pensacola Tripletail Thomas D. Lewis 03/04/1998 40.81 lbs. Ft. Pierce Vermilion snapper Dawn M. Delisle 04/01/2017 6.19 lbs. Gulf of Mexico Wahoo George Von Hoffman 05/18/1960 139.56 lbs. Marathon Warsaw grouper Steve Haeusler 12/22/1985 436.75 lbs. Destin Weakfish George R. Mizell, Jr. 12/30/1987 10.00 lbs. Port Canaveral White grunt Vacant White margate Hector Vasallo 02/06/2011 19.50 lbs. Dry Tortugas White marlin L. F. Hooper 03/20/1938 161.06 lbs. Miami Beach White shark Richard P. DeAngelis 04/30/1988 686.38 lbs. Key West Whiting (kingfish) William Joseph Peckham 04/18/2021 2.40 lbs. Pensacola Beach Yellow jack Douglas J. Pfeffer 11/19/2013 23.75 lbs. Duck Key Yellowfin grouper Roy Hogrebe 12/07/1988 34.38 lbs. Key Largo Yellowfin tuna Michael Delph 12/05/2002 240.00 lbs. Key West Yellowtail snapper Jeff Bowles 01/30/2015 10.19 lbs. Ft. Myers
Fishing with conventional tackle is what most of us do when we fish in Florida waters. You might consider the Goliath Grouper to be the largest saltwater fish on record, but it was a Blue Marlin that weighed in at 1,048.888 pounds. The beast was caught off Panama City, Florida, in 2001 by Conrad E. Hawkins.
Data Courtesy of the IGFA and Archive.org
