A charter fishing crew landed a 1,260-pound Atlantic blue marlin off the coast of Massachusetts on Wednesday. The catch, made by angler Walter Chapman and Captain Damon Sacco, is believed to be the largest ever taken off the U.S. East Coast.
The fish was caught in Atlantis Canyon, located approximately 100 miles off Cape Cod along the continental shelf. The marlin measured over 11 feet in length. According to Sacco, the struggle to bring the fish onto the boat lasted three hours and resulted in damage to the vessel's transom.
The weight of the marlin falls 142 pounds short of the world record for an Atlantic blue marlin, which was set in Brazil in 1992. Walt Golet, an associate professor at the University of Maine, noted that such a catch is rare in the Northeast because water temperatures are typically too cold for the species for much of the year.
The concrete impact for those involved includes the distribution of hundreds of pounds of meat among approximately 12 people. While such large billfish are migratory visitors to New England waters, their presence provides data for marine researchers. The fish’s head has been sent to the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab, where scientists will use it to determine the animal's age, which is estimated to be between 25 and 30 years. This research helps track the health and longevity of high-seas fish populations.
The catch sets a potential new state or regional record for weight, which may influence future fishing tourism and charter interest in the Massachusetts area. While most Atlantic blue marlin do not reach this size, the documentation of a 1,260-pound specimen in northern waters provides a data point for how climate or seasonal shifts affect migration. What happens next involves the formal verification of the weight and age by the University of Maine, though a specific date for these findings was not reported.