Fishing in the open ocean always comes with surprises. After all, you never really know what you might hook. For two fishermen off the coast of Massachusetts, this proved to be true after they reeled in an unseasonal surprise. They managed to land a massive 1,260-pound Atlantic blue marlin. It’s a catch that experts believe stands as the largest of its kind ever pulled in on the East Coast.
Per the NY Post, this incredible event unfolded on Wednesday when Damon Sacco, a veteran charter boat captain, was out about 100 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. According to ABC News, the experience was so intense that the fish actually left holes in the boat’s transom with its bill, which Sacco now refers to as “war marks.” It took the crew a three-hour battle on the open ocean to reel the monster in.
When the massive fish first surfaced near the boat, Sacco initially assumed it was a shark because of its size. He mentioned that he “got a better look at it and thought, ‘dang, that thing’s pointed.’” However, even then, he assumed it was “too big for a marlin.” ABC News noted that Sacco described the fish rising from the depths as looking like a glimmering blue spaceship. It turns out his initial hesitation was understandable, as the marlin measured over 11 feet in length.
An unlikely catch
The actual fight was handled by Sacco’s client, Walter Chapman, a retiree and lifelong fisherman from Plymouth, Massachusetts. According to the NY Post, Chapman spent three hours working the rod and reel to bring the giant in. He later confirmed that it was easily the biggest fish he has ever fought on a line. While Chapman was doing the heavy lifting, Sacco joked that his own role was primarily to “drive the bus around and yell at people.”
Once they returned to shore in Falmouth, Massachusetts, a crowd gathered to witness the spectacle of the massive fish being weighed. Local resident Katie Curran was there to see the arrival and was reportedly impressed by the scale of the achievement.
“People fish their entire lives and never come close to a catch like this,” Curran said. She added, “Hats off to Captain Damon Sacco and the crew on the catch of a lifetime.” Earlier this year, a boy fishing in Minnesota hauled in a shortnose gar that set the state record.
The science behind such a catch is just as fascinating as the fight itself. Walt Golet, the director of the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab and an associate professor at the university’s marine sciences school, told ABC that catching a blue marlin of this size near New England is highly unusual.
He reportedly explained that the water in the Northeast is generally too cold for these fish. Thus, the time frame for encountering one is extremely narrow. Golet noted that these blue marlin are highly migratory, making them only seasonal visitors to the region. Over in Pennsylvania, a few weeks ago, a boy reeled in a fish that should have been in the lake: a piranha.
According to the outlet, the team brought the head of the marlin to the UMaine lab to get a better idea of its age. While the official results are pending, Golet speculated that the fish could be anywhere from 25 to 30 years old. He also emphasized how rare a catch this was. He stated, “I don’t suspect there will be a whole lot of blue marlin caught in the Atlantic in general that are going to top 1,200 pounds for the next several years.”
The NY Post reported that the Marlin weighed in just 142 pounds shy of the world record for an Atlantic blue marlin. The largest of its kind was caught off the coast of Brazil back in 1992, according to the International Game Fish Association. The Massachusetts crew had been fishing in Atlantis Canyon, an underwater area located on the edge of the continental shelf, when they hooked the record-breaking fish.
Once the adrenaline settled, the crew had to figure out what to do with over 1,000 pounds of fish. Per ABC, Chapman noted that the meat was divided among about a dozen people. He reportedly joked, “I wasn’t going to eat a 1,200-pound fish all by myself.” Now, he noted that that he was busy looking for recipes to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Chapman reportedly mentioned that some of the haul will likely end up in fish chowder. Honestly, that sounds like a pretty tasty way to celebrate such a legendary day on the water.
Published: Aug 22, 2026 01:30 pm