World Record Sharks

Updated on Apr 20, 2021 3:49 AM EDT

3 minute read

David Hannah holds the men's 50-pound line class world record for this massive thresher shark, officially weighing 767-pounds, 3-ounces. The catch was made in February, 1983 at the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_bigeye_thresher_1093A.jpg — RECORD SHARKS
New Zealand waters gave up this record 802-pound bigeye thresher shark to Dianne North in February, 1981. It was caught off the town of Tutukaka.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_blacktip_07860007.jpg — Hard-fighting and common is the blacktip shark, and this 270-pound, 9-ouncer is the biggest on record. It was landed by Jurgen Oeder in September, 1984 off Malindi Bay, Kenya, Africa.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_dusky_AT105.jpg — Dusky sharks are common in many waters, but ones this size are rare. This 764-pounder is the largest ever caught, according to IGFA. It was taken out of Longboat Key, Florida in May, 1982 by Warren Girle.

Greenland sharks aren't as abundant or as notorious as some other species. But this 1,708-pound, 9-ounce giant deserves plenty of respect. It was caught by Terje Nordtvedt, in October, 1987, out of Trondheimsfjord, Norway.

Bucky Dennis set the fishing world in a spin when he caught this massive great hammerhead shark at Boca Grande Pass, on Florida's Gulf Coast during the May tarpon run. The 1,280-pound goliath was taken on 130-pound class tackle, and is the largest recorded for the species by IGFA. Incredibly, Dennis reports seeing other much larger hammerheads at Boca Grande.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_narrowtooth_02930006.jpg — Gaye Harrison-Armstrong is dwarfed by this 533-pound, 8-ounce all-tackle world record narrowtooth shark. She caught it off Cape Karikari, New Zealand in January, 1993.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_nurse_AT_07070085.jpg — Nurse sharks have the reputation of being docile, but one the size of this 263-pound, 12-ouncer would get anyone's attention. Nic Jeter caught it in July, 2007 out of Port St. Joe, Florida, setting the IGFA all-tackle record for the species.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_portbeagle_AT_507_lb_0_oz.jpg — The oddly-named porbeagle shark is a close relative of the mako, and is a hard-fighting, jumping shark that's also tops on a dinner plate. It's a good bet that angler Christopher Bennett had his hands full when catching this IGFA all-tackle record out of Caithness, Scotland in March, 1993. It weighed 507-pounds.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_salmon_05080069.jpg — This all-tackle IGFA world record salmon shark looks a lot larger than its 365-pound weight. But that's still about twice the size of angler Thomas Farmer, who caught it off Valdez, Alaska in August, 2005.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_silky_06940011.jpg — Australia is well known for yielding gargantuan fish, like this 762-pound, 12-ounce silky shark, caught by Bryce Henderson in February, 1994. It was taken out of Port Stephens.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_silvertip_01100133.jpg — Billy Furnish went to Malindi, Kenya, Africa to boat this 398-pound, 2-ounce silvertip shark. It's the biggest on record at IGFA, more than twice the size of the angler. It was taken in September, 2001.

httpswww.outdoorlife.comsitesoutdoorlife.comfilesimport2014importImage2009photo3Shark_sixgilled_AT_C_Rump.jpg — The sixgilled shark is not only rather rare, but gets rather huge, as this record 1,298-pound specimen proves. It was caught by Clemens Rump in November, 2002 off Ascension Island, in the South Atlantic Ocean.

This nearly one-ton tiger shark is twice as long as angler Kevin Clapson is tall. The catch was made in March, 2004 near Ulladulla, Australia, setting the all-tackle record mark, and the 80-pound line class IGFA record, too. Its official weight was 1,785 pounds, 11 ounces.

Few IGFA all-tackle world records are more famous than this one of an over one-ton white shark. Caught out of Ceduna, South Australia by Alfred Dean in April, 1959, this behemoth weighed an incredible 2,664 pounds. It was subdued on 130-pound class tackle. For more photos go to igfa.org

It’s summer time to think about the sun, beach, fishing, and sharks.

Summary

It’s time to think about the sun, beach, fishing, and sharks.

Bob McNally

Contributor

Bob McNally has been an outdoor writer since shortly after the earth’s crust cooled. He has written 12 outdoor books, more than 5,000 outdoor magazine stories (including many for Outdoor Life) and more newspaper outdoor columns and features than there are hairs on a grizzly bear.