Charter boat hauls in 1,260-pound blue marlin believed to be East Coast’s largest catch

A massive blue marlin weighing 1,260 pounds, likely the largest ever caught off the U.S. East Coast, was brought to shore off Massachusetts on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, according to fishermen Damon Sacco and Walter Chapman. The anglers had been battling the giant fish, which appeared like a "blue spaceship" as it broke the surface, for hours before landing it in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Sacco, a charter fishing boat captain with experience, initially thought the behemoth fin belonged to a shark, but he was mistaken. The marlin, measuring over 11 feet in length, fell just 142 pounds short of the world record set off Brazil in 1992, according to records kept by the International Game Fish Association. This record-breaking catch in New England is even more remarkable, as the cold water in the region limits the chances of encountering such a large fish.

The marlin's head is being sent to the University of Maine Pelagic Fisheries Lab for further analysis, and experts speculate it may be between 25 to 30 years old.