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Record-setting blue marlin caught in South China Sea

  • While out on a fishing trip on the boat Warbird, Captain David Tuthill and a group of fishermen made a surprising catch: a 505-lbs blue marlin. It's being called by some as the biggest of its species ever caught in the South China Sea.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
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    Group shot of the men who caught the blue marlin.

    While out on a fishing trip on the boat Warbird, Captain David Tuthill and a group of fishermen made a surprising catch: a 505-lbs blue marlin. It's being called by some as the biggest of its species ever caught in the South China Sea.
    Credit: GrindTV
    David Strege/GrindTV
  • As if the size of the fish wasn't impressive enough, blue marlin are rarely seen as far north as these fishermen were. "It's extremely rare," Kim Stuart of the Mandarin Sports Fishing Club told the South China Morning Post. "TO be this far north is quite a way out of its normal range.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
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    Group shot of the men who caught the blue marlin.

    As if the size of the fish wasn't impressive enough, blue marlin are rarely seen as far north as these fishermen were. "It's extremely rare," Kim Stuart of the Mandarin Sports Fishing Club told the South China Morning Post. "TO be this far north is quite a way out of its normal range.
    Credit: GrindTV
    David Strege/GrindTV
  • To catch the fish, the men engaged in a 3 1/2 hour battle with the 12-foot-long marlin, chasing it for six or seven miles.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
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    The 505-lbs blue marlin caugh in the South China Sea.

    To catch the fish, the men engaged in a 3 1/2 hour battle with the 12-foot-long marlin, chasing it for six or seven miles.
    Credit: GrindTV
    David Strege/GrindTV
  • Once the fishermen had exhausted the fish and it started dying, the blue marlin became dead weight 25-40 feet below the boat, proving to be a big problem for the group. The group was positive that if they tried to reel it in the traditional way, the line would snap.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
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    The 505-lbs blue marlin caugh in the South China Sea.

    Once the fishermen had exhausted the fish and it started dying, the blue marlin became dead weight 25-40 feet below the boat, proving to be a big problem for the group. The group was positive that if they tried to reel it in the traditional way, the line would snap.
    Credit: GrindTV
    David Strege/GrindTV
  • Captain David Tuthill came up with a solution to bring the blue marlin into the boat, and make sure it didn't go to waste. "Tut then decided to try something that I have never seen on the open water or have ever heard of anyone doing before," Brad Ainslie, one of the men on the boat, told GrindTV in an email. "He threw on a mask, snorkel, and fins, grabbed a gaff and dove down to the fish and dragged the beast to the surface."<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
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    Capt. David Tuthill is forced to dive down 25-30 feet to gaff blue marlin.

    Captain David Tuthill came up with a solution to bring the blue marlin into the boat, and make sure it didn't go to waste. "Tut then decided to try something that I have never seen on the open water or have ever heard of anyone doing before," Brad Ainslie, one of the men on the boat, told GrindTV in an email. "He threw on a mask, snorkel, and fins, grabbed a gaff and dove down to the fish and dragged the beast to the surface."
    Credit: GrindTV
    David Strege/GrindTV
  • The blue marlin was brought into the boat, and taken into Hong Kong to be used for food for locals. The successful fishermen kept the bill, tail and top fin to mount.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
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    One of the men who caught the blue marlin is shown on the boat.

    The blue marlin was brought into the boat, and taken into Hong Kong to be used for food for locals. The successful fishermen kept the bill, tail and top fin to mount.
    Credit: GrindTV
    David Strege/GrindTV
While out on a fishing trip on the boat Warbird, Captain David Tuthill and a group of fishermen made a surprising catch: a 505-lbs blue marlin. It's being called by some as the biggest of its species ever caught in the South China Sea.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
As if the size of the fish wasn't impressive enough, blue marlin are rarely seen as far north as these fishermen were. "It's extremely rare," Kim Stuart of the Mandarin Sports Fishing Club told the South China Morning Post. "TO be this far north is quite a way out of its normal range.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
To catch the fish, the men engaged in a 3 1/2 hour battle with the 12-foot-long marlin, chasing it for six or seven miles.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
Once the fishermen had exhausted the fish and it started dying, the blue marlin became dead weight 25-40 feet below the boat, proving to be a big problem for the group. The group was positive that if they tried to reel it in the traditional way, the line would snap.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
Captain David Tuthill came up with a solution to bring the blue marlin into the boat, and make sure it didn't go to waste. "Tut then decided to try something that I have never seen on the open water or have ever heard of anyone doing before," Brad Ainslie, one of the men on the boat, told GrindTV in an email. "He threw on a mask, snorkel, and fins, grabbed a gaff and dove down to the fish and dragged the beast to the surface."<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>
The blue marlin was brought into the boat, and taken into Hong Kong to be used for food for locals. The successful fishermen kept the bill, tail and top fin to mount.<br>Credit: <a href="http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/angler-jumps-overboard-to-make-rare-catch-off-hong-kong/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:GrindTV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">GrindTV</a>

A group of Hong Kong-based hedge fund traders made a "once in a lifetime catch," GrindTV reports. The men were fishing in the South China Sea when they snagged the massive fish. Click through the images below to read the full story of how they managed the feat.