Early Labor Day morning, about 30 people on a fishing boat off the New Hampshire coast were reeling in pollack, “one after another,” according to the vessel’s captain, Jim Walsh.
Then Jackson Denio, 13, decided to throw in a shark line, just to “see what happens,” he said.
Soon after it sank to the bottom, it was clear something big was on the line.
“Bang,” Walsh said. “He was holding on to that rod for dear life.”
In a grueling contest that lasted 20 minutes, the fish dragged the teenager all the way to the bow. But Jackson never let go, repeatedly refusing offers for help.
“They just asked: ‘If you need to pass it off or whatever, you can give it to me,’” Jackson recalled Wednesday. “I’m like: ‘No, I want to get this myself.’”
When Jackson eventually pulled the halibut up to the surface, Walsh broke out a 15-foot fishing spear that another mate used to secure the fish.
Jackson, who lives in Hampton, said it took “all the crew” to wrestle the fish onboard, and Walsh said people were astonished at its size. No small feat for an angler weighing 120 pounds.
“Everybody just looked at it in awe,” he said. “The thing’s over six feet long, and if you see the picture, the kid’s smaller than the fish! I mean, that’s the amazing part.”
When they brought the catch onshore in Hampton that evening, it weighed in at 177 pounds, smashing the world record for junior anglers of 130 pounds, according to Jackson’s mom, Jill Denio.
“Talk about quite an achievement, to have a world record,” she said.
The Denios had the fish officially weighed, filled out an application with the International Game Fish Association, and are awaiting confirmation of Jackson’s world record, Jill Denio said.
“Any fish, he’d be excited,” said Jackson’s father, Nathan Denio. “But then a fish of that size, with the possibility of it being a junior world record, he was super excited. He was almost speechless.”
Around 9 p.m. Sunday, Jackson and his cousin, 14-year-old Austin Leaver, set off with 30 other passengers on the boat, which is managed by Al Gauron Deep Sea Fishing, Walsh said.
It’s somewhat unusual for young teenagers to be so devoted to deep-sea fishing, Walsh acknowledged. But Jackson and Austin possess a unique interest in the sport, and both of them work on the ship as mates.
“They do a great job,” Walsh said. “It’s a pleasure to have them on the boat ... two wonderful kids growing up in the ocean.”
Jackson said he started fishing when he was 4 or 5 in New York’s Adirondacks, where his family has a cabin.
Three years ago, Al Gauron started a summer camp called “Salty Kids” at Hampton Beach, where attendees fish, whale watch, and kayak, according to Al Gauron’s website.
“I pretty much fell in love,” Jackson said. “The next year, I became a junior deck hand for [Al Gauron], so I’m just learning everything.”
“Just loved it even more and more every time I go,” he added.
Arriving around 4:30 a.m. to Cashes Ledge, an underwater mountain range, the group started casting and pretty much immediately began getting bites, Walsh said.
“We were catching pollack like one after another,” Walsh said. “Everybody loved it ... it was just a beautiful day.”
At around 8:30 a.m., Jackson said he decided to drop the shark line, leading to the catch that impressed, and perhaps galled, his fellow anglers on board.
“They were like, ‘Oh man, HE got it?’” Walsh said. ”I said, ‘Hey listen... let’s take our hat off to him, and let’s be proud of him.’"
“Everybody went that way too afterwards, because they knew how old he was,” he added.
After taking several photos, and plenty more fishing, “American Classic” returned to Hampton, Jackson said.
“We got word that he caught a big fish,” Nathan Denio said. “There was a lot of excitement down there ... it was just amazing how big the fish was compared to him.”
At school on Tuesday, Jackson said his friends “already knew” about his achievement due to local news coverage and social media posts.
“I like it,” he said of his newfound celebrity.
Now, with 177 pounds of halibut to eat, Jill Denio said freezer space will limited for some time.
“It’s all we’re going to be eating for a while,” she said.
Truman Dickerson can be reached at truman.dickerson@globe.com.