A 12-year-old boy from Weston, Massachusetts, caught a huge white marlin off the coast of Nantucket on August 16.
Stone Fornes caught the 118.2-pound fish, possibly breaking a junior world record, while fishing with angler Elliot Sudal.
The current record for a white marlin is 102 pounds and was caught off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in 2011, according to the International Game Fish Association.
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Fornes told Fox News Digital it was a tough 90-minute battle to pull the fish to shore.
“That marlin was an acrobat,” he said.
Stone Fornes (pictured) has landed a 118.2-pound white marlin off the coast of Nantucket, possibly breaking a junior world record. (Elliot Sudal)
Elliot Sudal, a captain on Nantucket for 12 years, works with various shark research organizations.
“It’s incredibly impressive that Stone was able to catch that fish…from spotting it to biting the bait, not to mention battling it for an hour and a half,” Sudal told Fox News Digital.
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“It was a battle of epic proportions, with the marlin jumping completely out of the water several times and the highest level of technique being used to keep the boat in the right position.”
Sudal said he was grateful to the fishing community for coming together to transport the fish and help with the necessary paperwork related to the world record.
Stone Fornes (center), pictured with his father Don Fornes (right), was accompanied by boat captain Elliot Sudal (left) as he pulled the giant white marlin ashore. (Lauren Fornes)
“I feel like most 12-year-olds are playing on iPads while (Stone) is out breaking world records,” Sudal said. “He’s earned some street cred on the docks for that.”
Fornes said he normally releases most of his catch, but this fish was prepared with help from local restaurant CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket.
“It’s incredibly impressive that Stone was able to catch that fish. … It was an epic battle.”
“Unfortunately, to confirm a world record, you have to keep the fish,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“We spent a few days taking all the measurements and doing a scientific evaluation before sharing it with a bunch of people and eating it. It was the best meal of my life.”
CRU chef Eric Korsh cooked the giant fish for Fornes and his friends (see recipe below).
Stone Fornes, pictured here with his catch, said he typically releases most of his catches back into the water. (Elliot Sudal)
The angler’s parents, Don and Lauren Fornes, told Fox News that digital fishing is more than just a hobby for their son.
“He put everything into that passion,” Don Fornes said. “And he learned that some days you don’t get the best out of it, but if you stick with it, you can win big in the end.”
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Lauren Fornes noted that the entire team on Nantucket worked to obtain a certified scale, put the fish on ice and find a scientist who could confirm the species.
“He learned that some days you don’t get the best out of it, but if you stick with it, you can win big at the end.”
“I had no idea that setting a world record would be such a complex and arduous process,” she said. “Stone has grown through this experience in ways he never imagined.”
Fornes enjoys reading fishing reports and making friends with more experienced anglers, he said.
With the help of Nantucket restaurant CRU, Fornes and his friends were able to enjoy the fish they caught for dinner. (Lauren Fornes/Elliot Sudal)
“Stone is not just concerned about the catch; he is deeply concerned about the future of our fisheries,” noted Don Fornes.
“When he keeps a fish, he shares the meat with great passion with the many people he has befriended in the Nantucket community.
“Lauren and I are thinking about how this experience will translate to other areas of his life as he grows up, but we know this boy will go his own way. Maybe he’ll be an old man at sea one day.”
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A representative of the International Game Fish Association told Fox News Digital that the record confirmation process typically takes between four and six weeks.
“Upon receipt, the application will be submitted for review and will enter the official review process,” the representative said. “After review, a decision will be made on the approval of the protocol.”
CRU chef Eric Korsh prepared the giant fish for Fornes and his friends. (CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket)
Marlin recipe from CRU Oyster Bar on Nantucket (serves 4)
Ingredients
marlin
- Four 5-ounce marlin steaks
- Salt and pepper
- olive oil
lettuce
- One 10-ounce can of halved artichokes
- 113 g Kalamata olives
- A bunch of parsley, chopped
- Two lemons, juiced
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Tomatoes stuffed with persillade
- Four medium ripe tomatoes with the stem removed and the seeds scraped out
- 2 cups dry panko breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
1. Carefully mix all salad ingredients together.
2. Puree all tomato ingredients (leave the tomatoes aside) in a food processor until you have parsley breadcrumbs.
3. Fill the tomatoes with the parsley breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
4. Lightly coat the marlin with olive oil, salt and pepper.
5. Cook in a heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet over medium heat for four minutes on each side.
6. Assemble, serve and enjoy immediately.
