海岸に現れた1.5メートルの"幻の魚" 暗闇のなか「オオニベ」と3時間の格闘...釣り人が振り返った奇跡のキャッチ＝静岡

A man living in Shizuoka City caught a giant fish, a "giant croaker," measuring approximately 1.5 meters in length, off the coast of his hometown. The "legendary fish," weighing over 30 kilograms, was caught after a three-hour struggle in the darkness. The man described it as a "miracle" and is now aiming for even greater heights. The giant croaker, a member of the Sciaenidae family, lives in warm seas and can reach 1.5 meters in length. While primarily found in Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures, it has recently been spotted in Shizuoka Prefecture, possibly due to rising sea temperatures caused by global warming. ■ "A Miraculously Caught Giant Croaker" On May 19th, Soichiro Maeda (39), a beekeeper living in Shizuoka City, caught a giant croaker measuring approximately 1.5 meters and weighing over 30 kilograms off the coast of Miho, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City. The astonishing catch struck a lure intended for flounder and sea bass around 3:30 AM, and a three-hour struggle ensued before it was finally landed. Soichiro Maeda "I was fishing for flounder, and after catching a few, I hooked a giant croaker. It had swallowed the lure whole, and the hook was completely bent out of shape. It was truly a miraculous catch." ■ "A Battle in a Restricted Area" Maeda, with over 30 years of fishing experience, is also a professional angler, giving fishing lessons nationwide. However, he recalls that battling a giant fish with flounder-targeting tackle and the complex topography of Suruga Bay was extremely difficult. Maeda "The topography of Suruga Bay, including breakwaters and drop-offs (slopes from deep to shallow areas), makes it difficult to bring a large fish close enough to catch it yourself. Unlike shallow areas where both fish and people can move freely, it was a battle in a restricted area." ■ A Second 1.5-Meter Giant Croaker This was Maeda's second time catching a 1.5-meter giant croaker. In 2023, he also caught a massive croaker weighing approximately 35 kilograms off the coast of Miho. Maeda says that the giant croaker is one of the largest fish ever caught from the shore in Japan. Maeda "It's a 'phantom fish.' Its population is small, and it rarely comes close to the shore, so it's extremely rare to encounter one. Seeing it alive is a privilege only anglers have, so it's a phantom fish that only those who fight their way through can catch." ■The taste of a 1.5-meter giant croaker... Maeda has a 9-year-old eldest daughter, a 6-year-old eldest son, and a 5-year-old second daughter. As an angler and father, his goal is to continue catching fish bigger than his children. Mr. Maeda "It's quite difficult to catch fish other than the giant croaker, but luckily, giant croakers live in the local waters of Shizuoka, although I don't know how many more years this will continue. When my child grows to 170 centimeters, I'll catch a 180-centimeter giant croaker. That's all." The giant croaker has mild white flesh, and Mr. Maeda and his family enjoyed eating it as sashimi, grilled with salt, and deep-fried. For more details, check out NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/...