What You Need to Know
• Damon Sacco, a charter fishing boat captain, and Walter Chapman caught a massive Atlantic blue marlin off Massachusetts.
• The marlin measured over 11 feet in length and weighed 1,260 pounds when landed in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
• This catch is believed to be the largest Atlantic blue marlin ever caught off the U.S. East Coast.
Damon Sacco, a charter fishing boat captain, and his client Walter Chapman landed what is believed to be the largest Atlantic blue marlin ever caught off the U.S. East Coast on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The marlin measured more than 11 feet (335 cm) and weighed 1,260 pounds (571.5 kilograms), just 142 pounds (64.4 kilograms) shy of the world record set in Brazil in 1992. The catch occurred while fishing in Atlantis Canyon, approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) off Cape Cod, where blue marlin are seasonal visitors. The battle with the fish lasted about three hours, with Chapman using rod and reel, while Sacco managed the boat during the fight.
Why It Matters
This catch is significant as it highlights the rarity of large blue marlin in the Northeast Atlantic, where waters are typically too cold for them. Walt Golet, director of the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab, noted that the window for catching such large fish in this region is very narrow. The fish’s head will be sent to the lab for age determination, which may reveal it to be between 25 to 30 years old. Historically, large blue marlin catches in the Atlantic are uncommon, making this event noteworthy for both recreational fishing and marine biology.
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