Fishermen stunned when they hooked this massive sea beast — believed to be the biggest of its kind (Marlin) caught on East Coast

NY Post ^ | Published Aug. 22, 2026 | Ella Morrison

[dennisw]

Two longtime Massachusetts fishermen initially thought they were reeling in a shark, but instead they caught a 1,200-pound marlin, believed to be the biggest of its kind ever hauled in on the East Coast.

Damon Sacco, a seasoned charter fishing boat captain from the Bay State had been fishing for hours with his client on Wednesday when he caught a glimpse of a giant fin breaking the water’s surface about 100 miles off Cape Cod, MA.

At first, Sacco thought it was a massive shark but then he “got a better look at it and thought, dang, that thing’s pointed” and assumed it was “too big for a marlin,” he recalled.

To his surprise, the fisherman had caught a 1,260-pound Atlantic blue marlin that measured in at over 11 feet in length alongside his client, retiree Water Chapman.

Chapman, a lifelong fisherman from Plymouth, Mass., fought on rod and reel with the marlin for about three hours and said it was unquestionably the biggest fish he’s ever fought on a line before.

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TOPICS: Books/Literature; Business/Economy
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[dennisw]

[muir_redwoods]

That’s a lot of fish sticks

[dennisw]

These dudes could have made at least $15000 (my guess) selling this fish to top sushi restaurants.
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Marlin Meat in Sushi — Why It Can Be “Pay Top Dollar”
Marlin meat, especially from blue marlin, is highly valued in the sushi and sashimi markets, particularly in Japan, where it is prized for its rich, buttery flavor and high fat content (otoro)
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. This demand drives prices far above typical seafood, sometimes reaching tens of thousands of dollars per fish in the sportfishing and auction markets
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Why Marlin Sushi Commands Premium Prices
Species & Quality: Blue marlin is the most sought-after for sushi due to its size, strength, and meat quality. Larger, heavier fish with high fat content in the belly area are especially desirable
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Market Demand: Asian markets, especially Japan, pay top dollar for premium marlin destined for sushi. Seasonal availability and rarity boost prices
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Cultural Prestige: In Japan, marlin is considered a luxury fish, and serving it at a high-end sushi restaurant adds prestige to the dish
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Auction Records: The most expensive marlin ever sold was $3.07 million to a sushi restaurant, underscoring the value placed on marlin in fine dining
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[Sirius Lee]

Well done, angler!

[dennisw]

Bottom line
An expert sushi chef could carve out roughly 300–400 pounds of premium sashimi‑grade marlin flesh from a 1,200‑pound fish, with the rest used for other culinary purposes or discarded. This makes the marlin a rare and valuable source of high‑quality seafood.

[butlerweave]

Going to need a bigger freezer ,LOL

[suasponte137]

I heard when they get this big they’re so loaded with mercury that you can’t even eat them, they’re toxic.

[Texas Eagle]

Chapman, a lifelong fisherman from Plymouth, Mass., fought on rod and reel with the marlin for about three hours and said it was unquestionably the biggest fish he’s ever fought on a line before.

Where else does he fight them? In a boxing ring?

[dfwgator]

That’s a lot of fish sticks

[EVO X]

I heard when they get this big they’re so loaded with mercury that you can’t even eat them, they’re toxic.

Interesting. A web search seems to validate your post. Although the size of the marlin wasn't mentioned, it said adults should limit their intake to 6 oz a month. And it is a no go for pregnant women and children.

[bert]

and tough

[EVO X]

and tough

I've been a freshwater fisherman all my life. The general rule of thumb is toss the lunkers back in and eat the smaller ones.

[Starboard]

fought on rod and reel with the marlin for about three hours

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From a 45' multi-million dollar custom built twin Caterpillar 645 hp diesel engine powered platform with at least $250,000 worth of fishing gear. Advantage fisherman.

[Mathews]

“...when he caught a glimpse of a giant fin breaking the water’s surface about 100 miles off Cape Cod, MA.”

That dude has REALLY good eyesight!!!

[Mathews]

Yep. I caught a big ‘ol Black Drum one day and when I went to clean it, I saw nothing but spaghetti worms. Nasty. Some guys will still filet a fish like that and brine the filets to kill the worms, but I know the bodies are still buried in the meat. Yuck. I never ate drum after that.

[Col Frank Slade]

They didn’t need a bigger boat.

[dennisw]

You are right about the specs on the fishing boat>>> https://www.castafari.com/boat.html

[EVO X]

Thanks for ruining my breakfast. LOL. Big ones are fun to cash, but you have to know when to send them back..

[suasponte137]

Yeah, I’ve watched some fishing tournaments over the past few years to include the ones in freshwater, catfish etc. and an interesting commonality of all of them is that they generally have all the competitors catch go to the local food banks.

But when I looked up the big rock tournament out of Beaufort, North Carolina, and I asked what happened with the like thousand pound Marlins that they were catching, I learned they donated them to the local college science department, which seems strange, until I learned that there’s just a high toxicity and it’s just the meat is not really edible