This week it is thirteen-year-old Jackson Denio from Hampton, New Hampshire. He landed an amazing 177-pound Atlantic halibut on an overnight charter fishing trip! On Monday morning, a pretty spectacular thing occurred about 100 miles off the New England coast at Cashes Ledge. Along the way, Jackson displayed his world-class fishing skills amongst 30 other talented fishermen.
Jackson’s journey started on Sunday when he boarded the charter trip with hopes of catching the big one. In the past he’d had success catching pollack and other fish but had dreams of catching a shark. Acting on the counsel of the crew, he resolved to fish at the bottom of the ocean.
After using pollack for bait, there came a dramatic hit that told Jackson all he needed to know — he had just hooked a true giant.
“I’m standing there watching him. Then all of a sudden the fish took off, it bit it and started pounding away,” said Jim Walsh, part of the crew who witnessed the impressive battle.
For almost half an hour, Jackson fought the massive halibut, showing amazing grit and finesse. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed only 120 pounds. The fish, though, was an astounding 57 pounds heavier than him!
And when Jackson finally got the halibut alongside the boat, Jackson immediately reached for his camera. As celebratory shouts erupted around, he quickly snapped the scene with photos and videos. It wasn’t until after the crew officially weighed the fish that the reality hit home — it was a record-breaking behemoth. Jackson was pumped after making such an incredible catch. He even went as far as to disclose specifics about his fishing tackle to strengthen his claim of a world record to the International Game Fish Association.
Jackson’s family is excited to start applying for the junior record of Atlantic halibut. They intend to bid on that separate All Fish category. This hopeful venture is indicative of their pride in his accomplishment and desire to ensure Jackson’s name is cemented into the fishing history books.