State Record Holders
See Sport Fishing Tournament section for more information on the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament
|
Species |
Weight |
Angler |
Year |
|
FRESHWATER |
|||
|
Largemouth bass |
10 lbs. 10 ozs. |
James D. Hitchens |
2012 |
|
Smallmouth bass |
4 lbs. 15.5 ozs. |
Jerry Proffitt |
1989 |
|
Striped bass hyb. |
13 lbs. 13 ozs. |
Earl Blevins |
1990 |
|
Bluegill |
2 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Arnold Harmon |
1998 |
|
Carp |
45 lbs. |
Ronald Burnett |
1976 |
|
Catfish |
23 lbs. 6 ozs. |
William Ridgley |
1992 |
|
Crappie |
4 lbs. 9 ozs. |
Marvin Billips |
1976 |
|
Tiger musky |
15 lbs. 2 ozs. |
Richard Harris |
1991 |
|
White perch |
2 lbs. 9 ozs. |
Wayne Hastings |
1997 |
|
Yellow perch |
2 lbs. 11ozs. |
Marvin Kessinger |
1976 |
|
Chain |
7 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Earl Messick |
1972 |
|
American shad |
6 lbs. 12 ozs. |
Bayard Conaway |
1972 |
|
Trout |
11 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Edwin Wallace |
1997 |
|
Walleye |
6 lbs. 14 ozs. |
Nesbit Copenhaver |
1995 |
|
Redear |
3 lbs. 1 ozs. |
Marty Messick |
1998 |
|
SALTWATER |
|||
|
False |
20 lbs. |
Christian Anderson |
2008 |
|
True albacore |
80 lbs. |
David Francella |
1987 |
|
Black sea bass |
7 lbs. 6 ozs. |
Steve Samluk |
1988 |
|
Striped bass |
52 lbs. |
Benjamin Smith |
2012 |
|
Bluefish |
21 lbs. 15 ozs. |
Bill Thoroughgood |
1980 |
|
Cod |
44 lbs. |
John Osborne |
1975 |
|
Atlantic croaker |
5 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Catherine Simpson |
1980 |
|
Dolphinfish |
52 lbs. 15 ozs. |
Charles Ciociola |
2003 |
|
Black drum |
115 lbs. |
Kenneth Smith |
1978 |
|
Red drum |
75 lbs. |
James Vandetti |
1976 |
|
Flounder |
17 lbs. 15 ozs. |
William Kendall |
1974 |
|
Kingfish |
4 lbs. |
Billy Hastings |
1973 |
|
Atlantic mackerel |
3 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Ricky Yakimowicz |
1985 |
|
King |
48 lbs. 9 ozs. |
Gordon Harris |
1992 |
|
Spanish mackerel |
6 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Eric Ludwig |
2000 |
|
Blue marlin |
820 lbs. |
Bruce King |
1986 |
|
White marlin |
120 lbs. |
William Garner Jr. |
1972 |
|
Scup |
5 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Herman Schmidt |
1979 |
|
Shark |
825 lbs. |
Brent Thomas |
1981 |
|
Mako shark |
975 lbs. |
Thomas Barnes |
2000 |
|
Sheepshead |
15 lbs. 11 ozs. |
Christopher H. Wentz |
2012 |
|
Swordfish |
276 lbs. 12 ozs. |
Albert Scott |
1978 |
|
Tautog |
21 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Glenn Cave |
2005 |
|
Gray |
6 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Buddy J. Masten |
2012 |
|
Tuna |
873 lbs. |
Dan Dillon |
2005 |
|
Wahoo |
98 lbs. |
Jeff Murtoff |
2003 |
|
Weakfish |
19 lbs. 2 ozs. |
William Thomas |
1989 |
Living Conservation
James D. Hitchens is a man that is clearly living conservation. On March 22, 2012, Mr. Hitchens went down to his favorite fishing hole in lower Delaware expecting good things, but he may never have imagined just how good. Using a live shiner, Mr. Hitchens landed a 10 pound, 10 ounce largemouth bass measuring 26 inches long and
18 ¾ inches in girth! The fish broke a highly coveted state record that had endured since 1980. Most remarkable was that he and the folks at Taylored Tackle Shop in Seaford successfully kept the fish alive and Mr. Hitchens safely returned his prized catch to the waters from which it came. On behalf of all Delaware anglers, congratulations on a fine catch and thank you for your outstanding measure of conservation Mr. Hitchens!
Regulations in red are new this year.
Purple text indicates an important note.
