Enormous 187-kilo ‘lapu-lapu’ fish caught in Antique

Locals in Sebaste, Antique were shocked when a fisherman returned to shore with a gigantic grouper, known locally as lapu-lapu, weighing about 187 kilograms on Saturday.

Rex Vego Jr. caught the enormous fish, which took several people and almost five hours to haul in.

His aunt, Reah Vego Davidson, told Coconuts that since last week, Rex has been catching large fish such as blue marlins and barracudas that weighed between 22 to 27 kilos — a blessing considering her nephew had gone for months without catching any fish.

Yet the mammoth-sized catch was clearly the heftiest fish he had hauled in so far, she said.

Naturally, townsfolk became curious about Rex’s catch as it was the first time anyone had seen a fish that large. Most fishermen in the area catch yellowfin tuna or Spanish mackerel, also known as tanigue.

“People have been wondering about the luck that has come to him,” she told Coconuts.

“When he brought the giant lapu lapu home, we could not even weigh it as it was too heavy, so we sliced the head off. That alone weighed 50 kilos, and was distributed among those who helped lift it and to our neighbors,” Reah shared.

The remaining 107 kilos was sold off to a businessman, she added.