Merwin: 100-Pound Blue Shark Caught on Barbie Rod

Some years back I wrote a Fishing Column in our print edition about fishing with Barbie rods just to see what was possible with kiddie-style spincast outfits. Since then, I’ve heard of 20-pound catfish caught with this dinky gear, and even a 50-pound black drum. But nothing tops this latest Barbie news.

An angler fishing during a recent shark tournament off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, caught a 100-pound blue shark on a Barbie-style rig. Yes, really! Here’s the video to prove it.

Okay, I know that blue sharks aren’t the toughest fighters on the end of a line. If this had been a hard-running, high-leaping mako shark, Barbie’s proverbial goose would have been cooked but good. But still, a 100-pound fish is a 100-pound fish, and I give the angler lots of credit for trying in the first place and for pulling it off.

In case you’re wondering about Barbie’s muscles, I once dead-lifted a 16-pound weight with a Barbie rod without breaking it. So there’s plenty of pull available. And I dare say this angler replaced the chintzy mono that comes on the reel with something stronger.

So far, this is the largest Barbie-caught fish that I’ve heard of. Maybe even a record if anyone were keeping track. So perhaps there’s a moral here. Like don’t mess with Barbie!