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