If you thought the fishing records would slow down as summer turned to fall, then you thought wrong.
It’s been an absolutely huge year for record-breaking fresh, and the momentum is rolling on.
A Florida man recently broke the state record with an absolute unit of a peacock bass, a fella in New Jersey recently broke the record for gray tilefish, an Arizona man fried a record-breaking flathead catfish before he could certify the catch, an Alabama man cut a state record bonito up into shark bait, a big bluegill broke the state record down in Georgia, a North Carolina man hooked the biggest Spanish hogfish in state history, Minnesota state records for both muskie and pike fell, a Virginia bow fisherman set a new record for Longnose gar. The state of Connecticut produced a new world record for white catfish too.
There have been a whopping nine state records broken in the state of Missouri alone this year, including six different fish in the first six months of the year followed by the kid who broke his dad’s sunfish record, a bighead Carp big enough to set a new world record, and a state record American eel.
Other state records that were broken this year include a Paddlefish in Oklahoma, a Skipjack and a Muskie in West Virginia, a Lake Trout in Illinois, and a Fallfish Minnow in Virginia. Plus, there were several new state records caught in Montana this year, including largemouth bass, walleye, long-nose sucker, and brown trout.
In addition to being state records, new world records have been set for several species this year, too, including a Bullhead Catfish in Louisiana, a Sunfish in Arizona, a Meanmouth Bass in Texas, and a Tiger Trout in Washington.
Time to put another one on the scoreboard, though. A Red Group caught off the coast of Georgia has shattered the previous state record.
According to Georgia Outdoor News, the 26-pound 6.4-ounce fish was hooked by Bruce Bartlett Jr. His fish outweighed the previous record of 19-pounds 7-ounces by a considerable margin. That record was set in 2012 by John Wren.
Bartlett was aboard his boat Fishlaya Deuce when he caught the grouper on a live minnow rigged up to a circle hook.
Doug Haymans, Director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Division, which oversees the Saltwater Fish Record Program issued congratulations to Bartlett and insinuated the catch was not merely a product of good luck.
“This achievement recognizes not only the size of the catch but Mr. Bartlett’s skill as an angler and the sportsmanship displayed in landing a record-setting gamefish.”
