This tarpon may have been an all-tackle world record.
The mighty tarpon is easily one of the most popular saltwater fish to target. This species is known for their substantial size, speed, and spectacular leaping abilities. This is a fish that will push any angler to his or her limits once it is on the line. Even more so when the fish is world class in size.
This fish is normally native to tropical waters in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the Panama Canal opened a waterway for them to spread over to the Pacific waters around Colombia. That is where Josh Jorgensen is fishing for today's video.
The day starts off normally enough. Josh boats his first roosterfish ever. Then, the day takes a dramatic turn for one of the most memorable days of fishing ever when they hook into a tarpon. This is not any ordinary tarpon either. It is one of world class size. It takes nearly four men to haul this beast on board.
That was one massive fish, and it truly took a team effort to bring such a large specimen into the boat. It is hard to believe the tarpon is considered an invasive species in this part of the world. From the looks of it, the population is thriving!
The current IGFA world record is recognized at 286 pounds, 9 ounces. That fish was caught off Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, which is off the coast of Africa, in 2003, so it has been a while since the record has been broken. As is often the case with record-breaking fish, these guys simply did not realize the magnitude of their catch until much later. If the estimates are correct and this fish topped 312 pounds, that would not only break the record it would annihilate it!
Our hat is off to Josh for shrugging off the chance to claim the top spot in the record books for such an iconic species. From the way he talked at the end, we get the feeling he might have released it anyway, even knowing what he had. Congratulations on an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime catch Josh!
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