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13-Year-Old New Hampshire Angler Battles Record Atlantic Halibut Single-Handedly
A 13-year-old New Hampshire boy caught a 177-pound Atlantic halibut during a recent fishing trip off the coast of New Hampshire. The massive fish outweighed Jackson Denio by 50 pounds and could set a new junior world record.
It all started one hundred miles off the New Hampshire coast aboard the charter boat “American Classic”. There, Jackson Denio from Hampton watched as fellow passengers pulled in pollock after pollock from the deep water around Cashes Ledge.
But Jackson had bigger plans.
“Around 8:30, I decided I was going to put out the shark rod that I brought,” Jackson said. Following the advice of mate Angelo, he dropped his pollock-baited hook all the way to the bottom to “see what happens.”
What happened next was the fight of a lifetime.
Within 90 seconds, something grabbed his bait and took off like a freight train. The 120-pound teenager found himself locked in battle with what he initially thought was a shark. Captain Jim Walsh quickly realized otherwise.
“I looked at him and I said, were you on the bottom? And he goes, yes. And I said, you don’t have a shark,” Walsh said.
The massive flatfish measured over six feet long, making it three inches taller than the 13-year-old angler who landed it. Photo: Jill Denio
For 30 grueling minutes, Jackson refused all offers of help from seasoned crew members and fellow anglers. Every time someone suggested he pass off the rod, the determined teenager had the same response: “No, I want to get this myself.”
The fish had other ideas. Just when Jackson managed to work it close to the surface, the massive flatfish spotted the boat and dove back to the depths, dragging the young angler toward the bow. The entire boat erupted in cheers and chants of encouragement as passengers realized the sheer size of what was on the end of Jackson’s line.
“He did not let go once. He never let anybody else touch the rod,” Walsh said. “Even some young adults that age when they hook up on a fish like that, they usually pass the rod off.”
When Jackson finally brought the Atlantic halibut to the surface, it took four crew members and a flying gaff to boat the monster. The fish measured over six feet long and tipped the scales at 177 pounds, making it three inches taller than Jackson and outweighing him by more than 50 pounds.
Jackson Denio, 13, of Hampton, New Hampshire, looks up at the scale reading as his 177-pound Atlantic halibut is officially weighed on September 2, 2025. Photo: Jill Denio
The catch appears poised to shatter the junior world record for Atlantic halibut, with the International Game Fish Association currently reviewing Jackson’s application. The previous record stood at just 130 pounds, and the junior male category for Atlantic halibut was actually vacant.
For Jackson, who started fishing in New York’s Adirondacks when he was just four years old, the record-breaking catch has only fueled his passion further.
“It makes me want to keep fishing even more and try and beat the record if I can,” he said with a grin.
The post 13-Year-Old New Hampshire Angler Battles Record Atlantic Halibut Single-Handedly appeared first on OutdoorHub.
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13-Year-Old New Hampshire Angler Battles Record Atlantic Halibut Single-Handedly
A 13-year-old New Hampshire boy caught a 177-pound Atlantic halibut during a recent fishing trip off the coast of New Hampshire. The massive fish outweighed Jackson Denio by 50 pounds and could set a new junior world record.
It all started one hundred miles off the New Hampshire coast aboard the charter boat “American Classic”. There, Jackson Denio from Hampton watched as fellow passengers pulled in pollock after pollock from the deep water around Cashes Ledge.
But Jackson had bigger plans.
“Around 8:30, I decided I was going to put out the shark rod that I brought,” Jackson said. Following the advice of mate Angelo, he dropped his pollock-baited hook all the way to the bottom to “see what happens.”
What happened next was the fight of a lifetime.
Within 90 seconds, something grabbed his bait and took off like a freight train. The 120-pound teenager found himself locked in battle with what he initially thought was a shark. Captain Jim Walsh quickly realized otherwise.
“I looked at him and I said, were you on the bottom? And he goes, yes. And I said, you don’t have a shark,” Walsh said.
The massive flatfish measured over six feet long, making it three inches taller than the 13-year-old angler who landed it. Photo: Jill Denio
For 30 grueling minutes, Jackson refused all offers of help from seasoned crew members and fellow anglers. Every time someone suggested he pass off the rod, the determined teenager had the same response: “No, I want to get this myself.”
The fish had other ideas. Just when Jackson managed to work it close to the surface, the massive flatfish spotted the boat and dove back to the depths, dragging the young angler toward the bow. The entire boat erupted in cheers and chants of encouragement as passengers realized the sheer size of what was on the end of Jackson’s line.
“He did not let go once. He never let anybody else touch the rod,” Walsh said. “Even some young adults that age when they hook up on a fish like that, they usually pass the rod off.”
When Jackson finally brought the Atlantic halibut to the surface, it took four crew members and a flying gaff to boat the monster. The fish measured over six feet long and tipped the scales at 177 pounds, making it three inches taller than Jackson and outweighing him by more than 50 pounds.
Jackson Denio, 13, of Hampton, New Hampshire, looks up at the scale reading as his 177-pound Atlantic halibut is officially weighed on September 2, 2025. Photo: Jill Denio
The catch appears poised to shatter the junior world record for Atlantic halibut, with the International Game Fish Association currently reviewing Jackson’s application. The previous record stood at just 130 pounds, and the junior male category for Atlantic halibut was actually vacant.
For Jackson, who started fishing in New York’s Adirondacks when he was just four years old, the record-breaking catch has only fueled his passion further.
“It makes me want to keep fishing even more and try and beat the record if I can,” he said with a grin.
The post 13-Year-Old New Hampshire Angler Battles Record Atlantic Halibut Single-Handedly appeared first on OutdoorHub.
Continue reading...