Tasmanian Teenager Could Break Australian Record with 580-pound Swordfish

   03.25.15

Tasmanian Teenager Could Break Australian Record with 580-pound Swordfish

A 16-year-old is believed to have broken an Australian record after he landed a 580-pound swordfish in Coles Bay, Tasmania. According to ABC News Australia, it took six hours for Kyle Longmore to pull in the massive fish during the Coles Bay Classic competition over the weekend. Leo Miller, the skipper of the boat, commended Longmore for his endurance during the grueling battle.

“Kyle was very physically exhausted but you’ve got to concentrate extremely hard for six hours in the sun [and] only get a little bit to eat and drink as people feed it to you while you’re fighting,” Miller said. “And these fish, they don’t call them the gladiators of the ocean for nothing.”

The swordfish jumped a total of 23 times while it was on the line, but it was not until it came close that the anglers could guess at its size. At 580 pounds, Longmore could qualify for the Australian swordfish amateur title.

“Big congrats to Kyle; an incredible effort for anyone let alone a 16 [year-old], extremely good fishing in a tough battle on a 10 to 1 [swordfish]!” stated a Facebook post from Team Choonachasa, the group of anglers Longmore was fishing with. 

The International Game Fish Association lists the world record swordfish as a staggering 1,182-pound monster caught off the shores of Chile in 1953. That fish was landed by famed fishing pioneer Louis Marron. You can see a video of Marron and his record fish below.

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