515-Pound Halibut Caught By Marco Leibenow Near Norway May Be World Record (PHOTO)
One German fisherman may have just reeled in a world record.
According to fishing tour company Angelreisen Hamburg, Marco Liebenow was fishing off the coast of Norway when he managed to catch a 515-pound halibut in July.
Speaking on behalf of Liebenow, Angelreisen Hamburg's David Bottcher said thatreeling in the fish felt like pulling in a submarine because of its size, The Daily Mail reports. After 90 minutes, Liebenow and three other men managed to haul in the massive catch, but couldn't fit the 8.6-foot fish on their boat. Instead, they had to drag it back to harbor alongside the schooner.
The 515-pound halibut may be the largest caught yet. The current record stands at459 pounds for Pacific halibut (Alaska, 1996) and 418 pounds for Atlantic halibut(Norway, 2004), according to the International Game Fishing Association. Liebenow has reportedly contacted the IGFA, but is still waiting on the association's approval.
Liebenow is not the first to catch a huge halibut near Norway. In March, another German fisherman spent four hours reeling in a 427-pound fish.