FishRook
In a stunning bluewater angling achievement, a commercial fisherman from the Cook Islands caught a massive blue marlin that set a new island record for the species. Fishing from his 22-foot boat, the Haurau, Pauro Arnold hooked, fought, and landed the marlin entirely on his own, according to Cook Island News. Arnold’s fish weighed 1,128 pounds, which also makes it one of the heaviest marlin caught worldwide this year.
“I was overwhelmed to be honest,” he told the local news outlet. “I’ve waited 14 years to do this.”
The Cook Islands are a scattered string of 15 islands located northeast of New Zealand, near French Polynesia. Arnold was trolling three miles off the island of Rarotonga, the largest of the 15 and home to the capital city of Avarura, when he hooked the marlin. During the 90-minute battle that ensued, Arnold kept the marlin close to his boat using a short line of about 50 yards. He said the massive fish jumped several dozen times during…
