The Biggest Fish Ever Caught: All Time Records

Updated: July 2026 · Reviewed by the Tom’s Catch team

Every angler has stood on a dock at some point and wondered the same thing: what’s the biggest fish ever caught? Not the biggest one that swims — the biggest one a person actually hooked, fought and landed on rod and reel, with a name, a date and a scale to prove it.

The short answer: the biggest fish ever caught on rod and reel is a 2,664-pound (1,208 kg) great white shark, landed by Alfred Dean off Ceduna, South Australia, back in 1959. It’s still the heaviest fish the IGFA has ever certified — and because great whites are now protected almost everywhere, it may never be beaten.

But that one number is just the headline. Below you’ll find the full board of all-time records — sharks, tuna, marlin and a few freshwater monsters — each with the weight, the year, the place and the angler who did it. We’ll also clear up the question that trips everyone up (the biggest fish in the ocean is not the biggest fish ever caught), and tell you which of these giants you could realistically chase from a charter today.

The all-time record board at a glance

These are the standing IGFA all-tackle world records — the heaviest of each species ever landed on rod and reel and certified under IGFA rules. Ranked by weight:

Records certified by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Notice how many date back decades — in the old days, catch-and-release was rare and regulations were looser, which is exactly why some of these will likely never be topped.

The Biggest Shark Ever

Sharks own the top of the board, and the king is Alfred Dean’s great white shark: 2,664 pounds (1,208 kg), landed off Ceduna, South Australia, on 21 April 1959 — reportedly in under an hour, on a baited hook. It’s the heaviest fish ever taken on rod and reel, period. Great whites are now a protected species across most of the world, so nobody is legally chasing this record anymore. Dean’s giant is here to stay.

Right behind it sits the tiger shark at 1,785 lb 11 oz (810 kg), caught by Kevin James Clapson off Ulladulla, Australia, in 2004 — the largest game fish of any kind ever landed by an Australian angler. Third is the Greenland shark at 1,708 lb 9 oz (775 kg), a slow, deep, cold-water giant caught off Norway in 1987. Three sharks, all over 1,700 pounds, all older than most of the anglers reading this.

Biggest fish in the ocean vs. biggest fish ever caught

Here’s the thing that confuses almost everyone — and it’s worth getting right. The biggest fish in the ocean is the whale shark, which can grow past 40 feet and weigh more than 20 tonnes. So why isn’t it top of this list?

Because a whale shark is a gentle filter feeder that eats plankton — it won’t take a baited hook, and it’s protected. It has never been caught on rod and reel, so it holds no IGFA angling record. That’s the key distinction: “biggest fish in the ocean” is about the species, while “biggest fish ever caught” is about a rod-and-reel catch certified by the IGFA. This page is about the second one — the fish real anglers actually fought and landed.

Huge Bluefin Tuna

Every angler’s dream is to catch a giant tuna, and the Atlantic bluefin is the one that made the legend. The all-time record is a 1,496-pound (679 kg) fish caught by Ken Fraser on 26 October 1979 in Aulds Cove, off Nova Scotia, Canada, on a mackerel bait. Nearly half a century later, no rod-and-reel bluefin has beaten it — and given today’s tight quotas, few ever will.

Its warm-water cousin, the yellowfin tuna, tops out at 427 pounds (193.7 kg) — Guy Yocom’s record fish from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2012. Yellowfin like these are exactly the kind of hard-fighting “cow” that draws anglers to Baja and beyond, and it’s a record that gets challenged more often than most. If you want a realistic shot at a genuinely big tuna, this is your species — start with our tuna fishing guide.

Grander Marlin

In big-game fishing, a “grander” — a marlin over 1,000 pounds — is the catch of a lifetime. The all-time king is the black marlin: 1,560 pounds (708 kg), caught by Alfred Glassell Jr. off Cabo Blanco, Peru, on 4 August 1953. That fish is over 70 years old as a record and still unbeaten — one of the most enduring marks in all of sportfishing.

The Atlantic blue marlin record stands at 1,402 lb 2 oz (636 kg), landed by Paulo Amorim off Vitória, Brazil, on 29 February 1992. The Pacific blue marlin record is close behind at 1,376 pounds (624 kg), caught off Hawaii in 1982. Billfish this size are rare, but blue marlin in the 300–800 lb range are landed by charter anglers every season in places like Hawaii, the Azores and Cabo — which is what makes marlin one of the most chase-able giants on this list. Curious how they compare to their cousins? See our marlin vs sailfish guide.

Other Huge Fish

The board isn’t only sharks, tuna and marlin. Plenty of other species have produced true monsters, some in freshwater you’d never expect.

Amberjack

The greater amberjack — a brutal, dogged reef fighter that punishes your arms long after the bite — has produced IGFA records well over 150 pounds. Pound for pound, few fish pull harder, which is why “AJs” are a favorite target on wreck and reef charters.

Giant Trevally

The giant trevally (GT) is the apex ambush predator of tropical flats and reefs, famous for smashing lures on the surface. Record GTs run past 150 pounds, and hooking even an average one is a bucket-list moment for saltwater fly and popper anglers.

Tarpon

The “silver king” is one of the most spectacular fish you can hook — all chrome, muscle and airborne headshakes. The all-time record tarpon weighed 286 lb 9 oz (130 kg), caught by Max Domecq in Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, in 2003. You don’t need a record to fall for tarpon, though: they’re the star of the flats in Florida, Costa Rica and much of the Caribbean.

Cod

Cold water grows big cod. The all-time Atlantic cod record is 103 lb 10 oz (47 kg), caught by Michael Eisele off Sørøya, Norway, in 2013. Northern Norway’s deep, cold Arctic waters are the world’s cod factory — if you want a genuinely big cod, that’s where the giants live.

Pike

Northern pike are the freshwater ambush predator every angler wants to tangle with — all teeth and bad attitude. The IGFA all-tackle record is 55 lb (25 kg), caught by Lothar Louis on Greffern Lake, Germany, in 1986. One common mix-up: the really giant “pike” you’ll see quoted from North America are almost always muskellunge, a larger cousin, not true northern pike.

Sturgeon

Sturgeon are living fossils, and the historic beluga sturgeon of the Volga and Caspian reached truly mythical sizes — well over 2,000 pounds — though those were net-caught, not rod-and-reel records. On the rod, white sturgeon on rivers like North America’s Columbia and Fraser still produce fish over 10 feet long, most of them released to fight another day.

Largemouth Bass

No freshwater record is more legendary — or more argued over — than the largemouth bass. The mark has stood at 22 lb 4 oz since 1932, when George Perry caught his fish in Montgomery Lake, Georgia. In 2009 it was finally tied (not broken) by Manabu Kurita on Japan’s Lake Biwa. Under IGFA rules a sub-25-lb record must be beaten by at least two ounces, so the two anglers share the record 77 years apart — and the hunt for a bigger one is still one of fishing’s holy grails.

Catfish

Catfish are the giants of freshwater. The wels catfish — Europe’s apex river predator — holds a weight record of 297 lb 9 oz (135 kg) from the River Po in Italy, and monsters over 9 feet long are still being caught in rivers like the Po and Ebro today. In Asia, the Mekong giant catfish grows even larger, with fish recorded near 650 pounds.

Could you catch a giant like this?

Here’s the honest part. Some of these records will never be beaten — great whites are protected, and quotas keep the biggest tuna out of reach. But a genuinely big fish, the kind that gives you the photo and the story? That’s absolutely within reach from the right boat, in the right season, with a skipper who knows the ground.

If a giant tuna is the dream, the waters off Nova Scotia, Spain and Baja California put you on real “cows.” Chasing a grander-class marlin? Hawaii, the Azores and Cabo San Lucas are where blue and black marlin roam. Want a cold-water cod the size of a small dog? Northern Norway. The record holders all had one thing in common — they were on the water, in the right place, when it happened.

You don’t need to break a world record to have the day of your life. You need the right charter. Browse big game fishing charters on Tom’s Catch — compare skippers, prices and verified reviews, and go put yourself where the giants are. Tight lines.

Biggest Fish Ever Caught: FAQs

What is the biggest fish ever caught?

The biggest fish ever caught on rod and reel is a 2,664-pound (1,208 kg) great white shark, landed by Alfred Dean off Ceduna, South Australia, in 1959. It remains the heaviest fish ever certified by the IGFA.

What is the biggest fish in the ocean?

The whale shark is the biggest fish in the ocean, growing past 40 feet and over 20 tonnes. But it’s a protected filter feeder that doesn’t take a hook, so it holds no rod-and-reel catch record — that’s why the great white tops the “biggest ever caught” list.

What is the biggest tuna ever caught?

The biggest tuna ever caught is a 1,496-pound (679 kg) Atlantic bluefin, landed by Ken Fraser off Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1979. The yellowfin tuna record is 427 pounds (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, 2012).

What is the biggest marlin ever caught?

The biggest marlin ever caught is a 1,560-pound (708 kg) black marlin, caught by Alfred Glassell Jr. off Cabo Blanco, Peru, in 1953 — a record that has stood for over 70 years.

Can you still catch a record fish today?

Some records are effectively locked — great whites are protected and giant bluefin are quota-limited. But big tuna, marlin and cod are landed by charter anglers every season. The key is fishing the right destination in the right season with an experienced local skipper.