North Carolina State Record Speckled Trout

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) recently announced the certification of a new state record speckled trout (Cynoscion nebulosus).

Todd Spangler, of Merritt, caught the 12-pound, 8-ounce fish in the lower Neuse River in Pamlico County on Feb 9, 2022.

The previous state record speckled trout weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces and was caught off Wrightsville Beach in 1961.

The International Game Fish Association All Tackle World Record spotted seatrout stands at 17 pounds, 7 ounces, and was caught in 1995 off Ft. Pierce Fla.

Spangler’s fish measured 33.5 inches total length (from the tip of the snout to the tip of the compressed tail) and had an 18-inch girth.

He caught it with a Daiwa Procyon reel and custom-built spinning rod. He used a dark purple Z-Man jerk shad soft plastic bait with a 20-pound braid.

Along the Mid Atlantic coast, speckled trout, also known as spotted seatrout, are one of the most popular saltwater species for recreational anglers. Speckled trout are identified by a pattern of dark spots along their backs, flanks, and tail.

For more information on state record fish, go to the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or contact the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff at saltwater.citations@ncdenr.gov.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

New Jersey State Record Winter Flounder (Spearfishing Category)

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife recently announced that Chris Kahler speared a New Jersey state record winter flounder (spearfishing category).

Chris was free diving near a jetty in Manasquan Inlet when he speared the 3 pound, 5 ounce winter flounder which measured 20 inches in length.

In 2014, the NJ Record Fish Program was expanded with the addition of a Spearfishing category for saltwater.

Seventeen (17) species commonly sought after by spear fishers are included in the category.

For more information, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com

NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife

North Carolina State Record Cubera Snapper

North Carolina state record cubera snapper - 58 pounds (courtesy NC DMF)

A new North Carolina state record cubera snapper has been certified by the state's Division of Marine Fisheries.

Randal Harmon of Morehead City caught the cubera snapper on Sept. 28 while fishing off Atlantic Beach on the Capt. Stacy headboat.

The fish weighed 58 pounds, topping the previous state record by 11 pounds, 8 ounces.

The previous state record was caught in the Atlantic Ocean in 1993. The world record cubera snapper weighed 124 pounds, 12 ounces and was caught off of Louisiana in 2007.

The fish measured 39 inches total length (tip of the nose to the tip of the tail) and had a 34-inch girth.

Harmon caught the record-setting snapper using cut mackerel on 80-pound test line.

North Carolina State Record Scamp

A recently caught scamp set a North Carolina state record and is a pending IGFA world record.

Teddy Wingfield, a 9-year-old from Lookout Mountain, Tenn., reeled in the enormous scamp on June 2 while fishing in waters off of Atlantic Beach.

The scamp weighed in at 32 pounds, topping the former state record by nearly 5 pounds and the world record by 2 pounds, 6 ounces.

Wingfield has applied for the all-tackle world record title through the International Game Fish Association. The application is pending approval.

The former state record, a 27-pound, 1-ounce fish, was also caught off Atlantic Beach in 2012. The current all-tackle world record scamp is 29 pounds, 10 ounces and was caught off Dauphin Island, Ala. in 2000.

Wingfield’s fish spanned 43 inches total length (tip of the nose to the tip of the tail) and measured 28 inches around the girth.

He caught the scamp while fishing on the Sunrise II charter boat.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

North Carolina State Record False Albacore

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified a new state record for false albacore.

Michael Voytkowski of Waverly, Penn., landed the fish in April, 2015, but only recently applied for the state record honor.

He caught the false albacore while fishing on the charter boat Beagle at the Big Rock off Morehead City.

The fish weighed 32 pounds and measured 39.75 inches curved fork length (CFL) with a girth of 24.25 inches.

The former state record for false albacore was 25 pounds, 8 ounces. The world record for false albacore is 36 pounds. That fish was caught off New Jersey in 2006.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

North Carolina State Record White Marlin

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record for white marlin.

Neil Manning of Ashburn, Va. reeled in the fish on November 16 while fishing off Hatteras. The fish was caught using live menhaden on 30-pound test line.

The marlin weighed 138 pounds, had a girth of 37 inches, and measured 85 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork in the tail.

The world record for white marlin is 181 pounds, 14 ounces, caught off the coast of Brazil.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

New Jersey State Record Black Sea Bass

The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife recently certified the catch of a new state record black sea bass.

Steve Singler of Philadelphia, PA, caught the new record fish on December 12, 2015. The monster sea bass weighed in at 9 pounds, 0 ounces, measured 27.5" in length and had a girth of 18.5".

Steve was bottom fishing in 180-200 feet of water off the boat Voyager, captained by Jeff Gutman when the fish hit.

For more information on the New Jersey Record Fish Program, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com.

source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife

Maryland State Record White Perch (Coastal)

A new Maryland state record (coastal) was set in November with a 1.2-pound, 13-inch white perch. The catch was made by Finn McCabe while fishing at Ayers Creek near Assateague Island.

He put the perch, one of the state’s most popular fish, on ice, and the following day took it to Sunset Marina in Ocean City for an official weigh-in. From there, he visited a nearby Maryland Department of Natural Resources field office, where fisheries biologist Steve Doctor certified the species.

Following the formal application and certification process, the department was able to announce the catch as a new state record in the Maryland Atlantic division.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Washington State Record Opah

A new state record for opah caught off the Washington coast was set recently, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The record-setting fish weighed 35.67 pounds and measured 37-7/8 inches.

Watson caught the large-eyed, orange-red colored opah in September while fishing 45 miles offshore of Westport.

Watson shared the fish with the charter crew, family and friends. "It was not like any fish I’ve tasted, but it was really good," said Watson. "Every bit of it went to good use."

Opah are the only fish found to be warm blooded throughout their bodies, a discovery first reported in the journal Science in May.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Maryland State Record Winter Flounder

Winter Flounder

The Maryland state record for winter flounder was broken in June with the catch of a five-pound, two-ounce fish.

Twilley set the mark while bottom fishing in 140 feet of water, 26 miles east of Ocean City aboard the charter boat Fish Bound with Captain Kane Bounds.

Captain Bounds called a friend onshore to check the record, which was a four-pound, seven-ounce fish caught by Jeremy Kuhn in 2006.

Back at Bahia Marina, they weighed the fish on a certified scale and called DNR’s coastal fisheries biologist Steve Doctor to confirm the species and the weight.

Marylanders most often catch summer flounder, which have both eyes on the left side. Winter flounder are more prevalent in the Northeast and feature eyes on the right side.

A complete list of Maryland state record fish can be found on the DNR Fisheries website.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Maryland State Record Tautog - Possible World Record

On January 2, 2015, Kenneth Westerfeld of College Point, NY landed a 28.8-pound tautog, which set a new Maryland state record for the species. Westfield's fish eclipsed the previous state record, a 23 pound tautog caught by Charles Donohue near Ocean City in 2012.

Westerfeld caught the fish using a Jonah crab rigged on a seven-foot, two-inch Calstar Custom rod loaded with 50-pound braided running line and a 50-pound fluorocarbon leader on a Shimano Tymos reel.

The fish was caught approximately 20 miles southeast of Ocean City while fishing in about 75-feet of water with Captain Kane Bounds on the charter boat Fish Bound.

"Ocean City is the best place for big tautog," said Westerfeld. "The water clarity is very good and the offshore wrecks hold some really big fish. I’ve been fishing very hard for over 20 years to catch a 20 pound tog."

Jacob Widgeon at Sunset Marina weighed the fish on the marina’s International Game Fish Association (IGFA)-certified scale.

Maryland Department of Natural Recourses fisheries biologist Keith Lockwood examined and confirmed the species, making the new Maryland record official. Westerfeld is pursuing the all-tackle world record certification with IGFA.

The current world record for tautog stands at 25 pounds.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Maryland State Record Gray Triggerfish

A new Maryland state record for gray triggerfish was set recently. Angler Wayne Gower of Baltimore landed the 5 lb. 2 oz. triggerfish on October 31,2014 while bottom-fishing aboard a charter off Ocean City, MD.

Gower was one of about 20 passengers on charter Captain Chris Mizurak’s 65-foot head boat for a trip to the Great Eastern Reef. Mizurak called DNR Fisheries biologist Steve Doctor to inform him they had a large triggerfish to weigh.

The crew met Doctor at the dock where he confirmed the species, and then headed to Sunset Marina where weighmaster Amanda Sprows certified its weight. DNR fisheries biologists agreed that a gray triggerfish of this size in Maryland is rare and deserving of a record.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Washington State Record Pacific Bluefin Tuna

A new state record has been set for Pacific bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Washington, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Sam Ellinger of Ellensburg caught the record-setting tuna 28 miles offshore southwest of Grays Harbor, while bait fishing with anchovies.

The tuna weighed 39.20 pounds and measured 41 inches in length. Ellinger's fish exceeded the previous record Pacific bluefin tuna weight by 2.71 pounds.

source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Maryland State Record Cobia

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service recently certified a new Atlantic division cobia record.

In September, Jack Latimer of Potomac caught a 79-pound cobia about a mile and a half east of Ocean City inlet.

The record setting cobia took a bucktail jig tipped with soft-plastic twister tail. The fish was taken to Ake Marina in Ocean City MD where DNR fisheries biologist Steve Doctor joined to confirm the species and the weight. The fish was 60 inches long with a girth of 30 inches.

DNR maintains State records for sport fish in three divisions - Atlantic, Chesapeake and freshwater - and awards plaques to anglers who achieve new record catches.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

New Jersey State Record Gray Tilefish

The New Jersey state record for gray tilefish was broken in September with an 18 pound, 14 ounce fish. The record-breaking tilefish measured 35 inches in length and had a girth of 23.5 inches.

Angler Richard Eglesbe caught the fish on September 2, while fishing aboard the party boat Voyager out of Point Pleasant. The boat was bottom fishing in the Wilmington Canyon when the catch was made.

For more information, see the Record Fish Program page at www.njfishandwildlife.com/recfish.htm.

source: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife

Delaware State Record Swordfish

In Delaware, a 358-pound swordfish caught on Sept. 7 set a new state record for the species. The record-setting swordfish measured 90 inches long, with a girth of 47.5 inches.

Following a nearly three-hour battle, recreational angler Kurt Lorenz of Burke, Va., landed the fish on 80-pound test line in the area of Poor Man’s Canyon about 70 miles east of the Maryland-Virginia coast. The catch is recognized as a Delaware record since the fish was caught from a vessel out of and returning to a Delaware port.

The record catch was initially confirmed by Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agent Agent First Class Shea Lindale, who responded to a report of a potential state record at Lewes Harbour Marina. Certified scales at Lewes Harbour Marina were used to weigh the swordfish the next morning.

The fish was processed at the Lewes Harbour cleaning station by Capt. Joe Morris. Morris noted it was a prized “pumpkin swordfish,” distinguished by its pinkish orange flesh, believed to be the result of naturally occurring carotenes from its diet of shrimp and other prawns.

Lorenz’s record-sized catch tops the previous record, a 276-pound, 12-ounce swordfish caught by angler Albert Scott in 1978. The new record holder will be entered in the books for the 2013 Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament.

For more information on the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament, please consult the 2013 Delaware Fishing Guide available at  local tackle shops or online at www.fw.delaware.gov/fisheries

source: DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

Atlantic Cod State Record Fish

The following list includes several Mid Atlantic state records for Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) :

The New Hampshire state record for Atlantic cod has stood since 1969. The massive fish, which weighed 98 pounds 12 oz. stands as the IGFA all tackle world record. ***

The Massachusetts state record for Atlantic cod is held by a 92 pound fish, caught in 1987. The Atlantic cod is the state symbol of Massachusetts.

Connecticut's state record for Atlantic Cod was set in 2004 with a 45 pound fish.

The New York state record Atlantic cod, caught in 1984, weighed 85 pounds.

The New Jersey state record Atlantic cod is held by an 81-pound record fish caught in 1967.

The Delaware state record Atlantic cod, caught in 1975, weighed 44-pounds.

The Maryland state record 38-inch, 24-pound Atlantic cod, caught in 2013.

*** note: In the spring of 2013 Michael Eisele, of Germany landed a 103-pound Atlantic cod while fishing in the Norwegian Sea.

If approved by the International Game Fishing Association, the monster cod will set a new world record for the species.

For more information concerning Eisele's potential world record cod, see:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/103-pound-biggest-caught-article-1.1343871

Maryland State Record Cod

Fred Brungart of York, Pennsylvania caught a Maryland state record 38-inch, 24-pound Atlantic cod on May 31 while fishing out of Ocean City. Brungart hooked the fish aboard the 80-foot headboat Ocean Princess captained by Victor Bunting.

After recognizing that the Maryland State record fish list did not include cod, Captain Bunting encouraged Brungart to have his catch weighed on the Ocean City Fishing Center’s scale.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service biologist, Steve Doctor, certified the fish and launched the process to determine if Atlantic cod would qualify as a State record species.

The Atlantic cod may join the list of Maryland Angler Award qualifying fish for the 2014 Maryland Fishing Challenge pending input from the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission and final DNR approval.

source: MD DNR

North Carolina State Record Scamp and Gag Grouper

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries recently certified new state record catches for scamp and gag grouper.

Toby Grantham of Knightdale caught a 27.6-pound scamp while fishing off Atlantic Beach Sept. 25. The fish measured 40 inches in total length and had a 26.25-inch girth. North Carolina previously did not have a state record scamp.

Timothy Gallimore of Ocean Isle Beach set the state record for gag grouper with a 46-pound fish he caught May 1, 2011 on live bottom in 200 feet of water southeast of Ocean Isle Beach.

The fish measured 44 inches from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail and had a 28.5-inch girth.

To establish a North Carolina state record fish, anglers must submit an application that is reviewed by Division of Marine Fisheries staff and a N.C. Saltwater Fishing Tournament Advisory Board. The fish must be exceptionally large for North Carolina waters and within a reasonable range of the world record.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

Delaware State Record Striped Bass

photo credit: DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife

A new Delaware state record has been set for striped bass (rockfish). Ben Smith of Bryn Mar, Pa., was fishing in the surf at Delaware Seashore State Park on December 8th when he reeled in the record-setting striped bass. The 52 pound fish measured 51 inches long with a 30 inch girth.

The new state record fish was caught with a circle hook and braided line. Smith’s catch was measured and weighed using a certified scale at Old Inlet Bait & Tackle in Rehoboth Beach and then verified by Sr. Cpl. Douglas Messeck of DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section. The previous state record of 51 pounds, 8 ounces had stood since 1978.

The Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament is an annual program sponsored by the Division of Fish and Wildlife to promote recreational fishing opportunities in the state and recognize anglers for outstanding catches. For more information about the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament, rules and a list of state record holders, anglers can obtain the 2012 Delaware Fishing Guide, call the Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914, or the DNREC website.

source: DNREC