There’s nothing more thrilling than big-game fishing on a river, lake, or the open water. When you hook something big, it quickly turns into an epic battle against a giant sea monster. Your adrenaline kicks in, time seems to slow, and it’s just you, your crew, and that fish.
Any wrong move can cause you to lose your catch. Then, reeling in your game and hauling it aboard is not without danger. People have broken bones, been thrown overboard, and even been bitten or tail-slapped by their game. There’s no relaxing until the battle is over. Practically any large body of water can become home to large fish, but there are a few elite spots around the world that have everywhere else beat. If you want to get the ultimate thrill from your big-game fishing experience, consider visiting one of these places.
South America: The Amazon River is home to some of the most massive fresh-water fish in the world, not to mention several species of mammals (though these mammals are protected by governing authorities). Not only are they massive, but they’re also exotic. On a typical fishing expedition on the Amazon or its major tributaries, you may end up catching animals that you never even knew existed. In fact, it’s estimated that there are hundreds of Amazon fish species that have yet to be named by biologists. In terms of large fish, you’ll have the chance to catch arapaima (up to 15 feet and 440 pounds) and massive catfish, among many others.
You’ll want to be on top of your game, though, as these fish can be fierce. Columbia River, USA and Canada: The Columbia River, which starts in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia in Canada and flows through Washington state before emptying at Oregon’s Pacific coast, is home to the largest fish in North America. Namely, the white sturgeon can get up to 20 feet and weigh nearly 1800 pounds. They have a strong fighting spirit, which makes them a little too challenging for many amateur sports fishers. Queensland, Australia: The coast of northeastern Australia is famous for its Great Barrier Reef, but the area around the coastal city of Cairns is also one of the best spots in the world for fishing the formidable giant black marlin.
The waters are one of the few breeding grounds for these fish in the world, which makes the fish uncommonly abundant during certain times of the year. The black marlin average around 1, 000 pounds in adulthood, but expert fishers have caught marlin up to 1, 300 pounds around Cairns.