“Someone said you would need an awful lot of chips to go with a fish like that,” the English woman joked. (Brendon Shinnick/Reel Force Charters)
When 68-year-old Sue Elcock ventured out on a deep-sea fishing trip to keep her son company, she probably wasn’t expecting to reel in a 130-pound “monster fish” bigger than herself.
Elcock made the incredible catch on International Women's Day. (Brendon Shinnick/Reel Force Charters)
During an early morning excursion while visiting her son Simon and his wife Michelle at their Perth, Australia home, Elcock told The Sun she felt a tug on her line and knew she caught a “fair-sized fish.” The petite Englishwoman said she was shocked at its sheer size as it emerged from the ocean off the coast of Lancelin.
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After 40 minutes of reeling, her son and their fellow passengers hauled in a giant bass grouper measuring 5 feet, 4 inches long — two inches bigger than Elcock herself, The Sun noted.
“I just couldn’t believe the size of it when it reared its head out the water. It was the size of a sofa,” Elcock said.
“Simon is an experienced sea angler and I have been out with him before when I have been visiting he and Michelle,” she divulged of the catch, which she made with her 49-year-old son’s electric reel. “The biggest fish I’ve caught before was a snapper about a foot long and when this one took the bait on the bottom the tug on the line didn’t seem much.”
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“Someone said you would need an awful lot of chips to go with a fish like that,” Elcock joked of her find. “But I’ve helped cut him up and get all that fish into the freezer. Simon and Michelle will be enjoying fish barbies for months when I’m long back in the U.K.”
Hosting his mother until the end of March, Simon, an aluminum mine worker, said he’s “thrilled” for her.
“The photo of her holding the fish is one to treasure,” he said.
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Reel Force Charters, the charter company used in the unforgettable expedition, couldn’t be prouder.
“How 68 year old Sue celebrates #internationalwomensday,” they wrote on Facebook and Instagram, sharing a video of her awesome early morning find.
“Once in a lifetime catch Sue, great job,” one Facebook fan commented. “She’s a legend,” another added.