Giant garoupa caught off Penang in Malaysia

Can you catch a fish this big? With the right equipment, skill and patience, you probably could. This huge garoupa (grouper) was the showpiece of the market in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, where passers-by queued up to take a picture with the fish.

The giant, weighing 165 kilos and almost two metres long, according to an article in The Star, was caught by fisherman Tan Kah Seng in a trawling net off Teluk Bahang on Friday, February 10, 2012.

The report said that it took six men to hang it on display and it was eventually sold to Kar Be Cafe operator Chew Kean Ghee for RM8,500 (approx US$2,700).

It was not the first time Mr Tan had caught a whopper of a fish. In August, he landed a 168-kilo garoupa and in 2010, he hooked a 203-kilo shark.

In 2008, a fishing weighing 180 kilos was caught off Pulau Sembilan in the Straits of Malacca, the article said. Are these giants also swimming beneath the surface off Kuala Besut? Hopefully.

If they are, we will help you find them and catch them, although we don't use trawling nets. We give the fish a chance with 50-pound line, give or take. Our fishing and squid jigging excursions start in April. Don't miss out and book your trip now. Email us at fishingmalaysia@yahoo.com.