Looking down to the giant crushers in the cat's mouth Larry saw that it had been a miraculous catch. The circle hook had been snelled incorrectly by an assistant, which meant it could not have rotated. And it was stuck in only as deep as the barb. A 14/0 marlin hook would have straightened with the pressure Dahlberg had applied. The overly thick Mutu shaft had held.

"I wanted to investigate the crushers a little more closely, but I was fearful," Larry said. "It was clear that if you put your finger in its mouth the fish would pop it like stepping on a hot dog."