marlin
Screenshot: 7News Cairns

Australian Angler Barely Misses World Record With 1,431-Pound Black Marlin

This Sydney man's once-in-a-lifetime catch only missed history by 130 pounds.

Angler Rob Crane was fishing off the northern tip of Fraser Island in Australia when he struck gold. Using 130-pound tackle and a lure his friend hand-crafted, he managed to do what every angler dreams of: landing a 1,000-pound fish.

When Crane and the rest of the crew on the Too Easy II vessel weighed the fish at Urangan Marina, it surpassed the coveted threshold with flying colors. The black marlin, which took Crane roughly two hours to reel in, weighed all of 1,431 pounds.

Additionally, the catch Crane called a "once in 20 lifetimes thing" came in only about 130 pounds shy of the Alfred Glassell Jr.'s 1953 world record, which weighed 1,560 pounds.

In a report by 7 News Cairns, we hear Crane's thoughts on the animal he'll never forget:

Because of the fish's size (and therefore mercury intake), Crane doesn't plan to keep any of the fish's meat. However, he says he's open donating parts of the fish to any crocodile farms or research institutes that are interested.

Congrats on an incredible catch, Rob!

NEXT: FLORIDA IS HIRING 50 NEW PYTHON HUNTERS, ARE YOU UP FOR IT?

WATCH