NH Boy, 13, Catches 177-Pound Fish—Bigger Than He Is

A 13-year-old from New Hampshire may have landed a world record catch after hauling in a massive 177-pound Atlantic halibut during a deep-sea fishing trip this week — a fish that outweighs him by more than 50 pounds.

Jackson Denio, of Hampton, was fishing early Monday morning about 100 miles off the New England coast at a spot known as Cashes Ledge when he hooked the enormous fish, according to the Associated Press.

“I think I screamed, honestly,” said Jackson, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs around 120 pounds. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I was very excited.”

Jackson had joined about 30 other passengers on an overnight charter with Al Gauron’s Deep Sea Fishing and Whale Watching. After a successful run catching pollock and other fish, he told the crew he wanted to go after something bigger — a shark. They advised him to drop his line all the way to the ocean floor.

Within minutes of baiting his hook with pollock, Jackson felt a powerful tug. It was clear he had something huge on the line. For the next 30 minutes, he battled the fish, reeling it close to the boat before it dove back down repeatedly.

Crew members and fellow anglers gathered to watch, shouting encouragement — and a few colorful words — as the sheer size of the catch came into view.

“I’m standing there watching him, and then all of a sudden the fish took off — it bit and started pounding away,” recalled Jim Walsh, captain of the vessel. “I looked at him and said, ‘Were you on the bottom?’ And he goes, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘You don’t have a shark.’”

Walsh said he was most impressed by Jackson’s determination: “He did not let go once. He never let anybody else touch the rod. And he worked him, worked him. Eventually, the fish started to tire out.”

The final result? A 177-pound Atlantic halibut — potentially a new world record for Jackson’s age group and category.

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