20+ Fascinating Photos Of Historical Fishermen With Their Big Catches

Updated November 21, 2022 44.5K votes 9.1K voters 1.0M views

Voting Rules

Vote up the big fish that need no exaggeration.

Your uncle, grandfather, or maybe even your own dad might have a "big fish" story - in which they swear they caught a fish "this big." Every fisherman and woman swears by that one big catch, but of course we rarely get to see these fantastic fish. But that doesn't mean those scary leviathans aren't really out there.

The following list contains a wealth of genuine old fisherman photos - bonafide whoppers, if you will. Some of these fish were caught for sport, others for dinner, and some completely by accident. Enjoy these pictures of big fish caught, and vote up the ones that are seriously impressive.

1. A 3,500-Pound Sunfish (1910)
Photo: Peter Victor Reyes / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
4,398 votes
2. A 5,000-Pound Manta Ray (1932)
Photo: Unknown / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / Public Domain
4,926 votes
3. A 416-Pound Black Sea Bass (1901)
Photo: /u/LostInTheJapan / Reddit
4,145 votes
4. A 384-Pound Black Sea Bass (1900)
Photo: Unknown / Shorpy / Public Domain
2,985 votes
5. A Giant Tahitian Marlin (1901)
Photo: American Museum of Natural History / Wikimedia Commons / No Known Copyright Restrictions
3,051 votes
6. A Large Sturgeon From The Columbia River (c. 1900)
Photo: John Fletcher Ford / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
2,544 votes

1. A 3,500-Pound Sunfish (1910)

2. A 5,000-Pound Manta Ray (1932)

3. A 416-Pound Black Sea Bass (1901)

4. A 384-Pound Black Sea Bass (1900)

5. A Giant Tahitian Marlin (1901)

6. A Large Sturgeon From The Columbia River (c. 1900)