Massachusetts Fishermen Catch Giant Blue Marlin

Two fishermen from Massachusetts recently engaged in a lengthy struggle to land a colossal Atlantic blue marlin off Cape Cod. What they initially believed to be a shark ended up possibly being the largest blue marlin caught on the East Coast.

The Unexpected Catch

Damon Stacco, a fisherman, recounted the morning beginning without much success. He and his client, Walter Chapman, managed to catch some yellowfin tuna before spotting a large fin about 100 miles from Cape Cod. Stacco described his surprise upon realizing it was not a shark but a marlin with a distinct blue hue.

A huge dorsal, he wrote on his Instagram page. Am I really seeing this? Four feet high but pointed…

Once they brought the fish aboard, Stacco and Chapman posed with their remarkable catch, confirming its size at 1,260 pounds with an IGFA certified scale in Falmouth.

Setting Records

The blue marlin’s weight was only 142 pounds shy of the world record set by a 1,402-pound marlin caught off Brazil 34 years ago. Stacco humorously mentioned his role as the captain of the charter boat, Castafari, whereas Chapman did most of the reeling work.

Notable Expert Insights

An expert from the University of Maine’s Pelagic Fisheries Lab, Walt Golet, noted the rarity of such catches in the Atlantic, explaining that the Massachusetts waters are typically too cold for these fish. He estimated the marlin’s age between 25 to 30 years, based on its head, which was taken for further study.

Golet remarked on the unlikelihood of such a large marlin being caught in the Atlantic again soon.

After the Catch

The catch left some damage on the boat, which Stacco affectionately referred to as “war marks.” Chapman, an experienced fisherman, mentioned plans to share the fish meat with about a dozen others, acknowledging the impracticality of consuming such a large fish alone.