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Maryland

Fishing

Fishing

State Records

State Records

Atlantic Coast Division

Albacore (longfin)

77.0 lbs.

Thomas "Tad" Bodmer

9/23/2022

Atlantic Cod

24.0 lbs.

Fred Brungart

5/31/2013

Atlantic Spadefish

11.4 lbs.

Noel Lohr

9/2/2004

Atlantic Tripletail

11.0 lbs.

Don Whittington

10/19/2019

Black Seabass

8.0 lbs.

Hayward Madison

6/1/1978

Bluefish

23.5 lbs.

Lillian Morris

10/30/1974

Cobia

94.6 lbs.

Emma Zajdel

6/30/2016

Dolphinfish

74.5 lbs.

Kristy Frashure

8/16/2019

Drum, Black

79.0 lbs.

Stanley Ilyes

9/7/1985

Drum, Red*

70.0 lbs.

Robert Light

9/24/1977

False Albacore

22.5 lbs.

Kevin Sheckells

6/25/1995

Florida Pompano

3.0 lbs.

Vacant

Flounder, Summer

17.0 lbs.

Anthony Vacari

10/3/1974

Flounder, Winter

5.1 lbs.

Kevin Twilley

6/23/2015

Gray Triggerfish

6.0 lbs.

Logan Liddick

9/25/2020

King Mackerel

47.0 lbs.

Gerald Kauffman

10/18/1985

Kingfish

2.5 lbs.

Grace Walker

10/1/1975

Marlin, Blue

1,135.0 lbs.

Billy Gerlach

8/24/2021

Marlin, White

135.0 lbs.

George Pierson

8/29/1980

Scup (Porgy)

6.2 lbs.

Pearl Hopple

7/4/1966

Shark, Black Tip

193.0 lbs.

Brian Zysk

8/4/1991

Shark, Blue

280.0 lbs.

Martin Waltman

9/13/1997

Shark, Dogfish, Smooth

18.0 lbs.

Fay Ganster

10/26/2022

Shark, Dogfish, Spiny

11.5 lbs.

Meyels Sampson

5/17/1993

Shark, Dusky*

469.0 lbs.

Jim Liberto

7/1/1982

Shark, Great White*

467.0 lbs.

Jack Holmes

6/11/1992

Shark, Hammerhead, Scalloped

266.5 lbs.

Scott Cusick

8/8/2012

Shark, Hammerhead, Smooth

375.0 lbs.

George Wilson Ford V

6/17/2004

Shark, Shortfin Mako*

876.0 lbs.

Jim Hughes

6/20/2009

Shark, Sand Tiger*

334.0 lbs.

Billy Leidner

9/8/1983

Shark, Sandbar*

235.0 lbs.

Mark Sampson

7/8/1983

Shark, Thresher

642.0 lbs.

Brent Applegit

6/19/2009

Shark, Tiger

1,210.0 lbs.

Grace Czerniak

7/9/1983

Sheepshead

18.0 lbs.

Robert Martin

9/22/2017

Snowy Grouper

66.0 lbs.

Gregory Benn

7/30/2012

Spotted Seatrout

13.0 lbs.

Jack Miller

8/21/1973

Striped Bass

57.2 lbs.

Gary Smith

5/6/2006

Swordfish

393 lbs.

Jeff Jacobs

9/23/2022

Tautog

28.8 lbs.

Kenneth Westerfeld

1/2/2015

Tilefish, Blueline

20.0 lbs.

Robert Purcell

9/12/2012

Tilefish, Golden

62.0 lbs.

Steve Doctor

10/22/2009

Tuna, Bigeye

375.5 lbs.

Cecil Browne

8/26/1977

Tuna, Blackfin

32.0 lbs.

Bob Zang

9/20/1998

Tuna, Bluefin

625.0 lbs.

James Daniels, IV

8/3/1975

Tuna, Yellowfin

236.5 lbs.

Mark Bennett

9/22/2002

Wahoo

131.0 lbs.

John Schaar

6/30/2014

Weakfish

16.0 lbs.

Donald Cannon

9/11/1976

White Hake

16.7 lbs.

Brian Gay

5/16/2019

White Perch

1.85 lbs.

Robert "Bob" Hudson

4/28/2022

Chesapeake Bay Division

Atlantic Spadefish

10.0 lbs.

Charlie Barron

7/15/2007

Bluefish

22.0 lbs.

Thomas R. Talbott

5/8/1991

Bluefish

22.0 lbs.

Ronald Raffo

5/31/1986

Bluefish

22.0 lbs.

John Davidson

10/18/1979

Carp

49.0 lbs.

Logan Kuhrman

6/4/2022

Catfish, Channel

29.6 lbs.

Kevin Kern

4/26/1997

Catfish, White

9.6 lbs.

Brian Dvorak

6/3/2018

Chain Pickerel

6.5 lbs.

James Grant

5/19/1965

Cobia

97.8 lbs.

John Scheifele

9/12/1969

Crappie

4.0 lbs.

Sid Stollings

3/30/2007

Croaker

6.5 lbs.

Russell Knapp

9/4/2006

Drum, Black

103.5 lbs.

Robert Messik Jr.

9/23/1973

Drum, Red*

74.4 lbs.

Earnest Hutchinson

5/15/1977

Florida Pompano

5.05 lbs.

David D. Schrock

9/6/2020

Flounder, Summer

15.0 lbs.

Kenneth Grimes

10/14/1978

Hickory Shad*

4.0 lbs.

John Schaeffer Jr.

7/23/1971

Largemouth Bass

11.2 lbs.

Justin Riley

1/26/2008

Longnose Gar

18.3 lbs.

Samson Matthews

3/2/2020

Norfolk Spot

2.0 lbs.

Parlett Moore

9/5/1978

Rock Bass

1.0 lb.

Timothy A. Adams

5/4/1997

Sheepshead

14.1 lbs.

Daniel Mastronardi, Jr.

8/9/2020

Smallmouth Bass

6.0 lbs.

Charles Janes

7/23/1979

Spanish Mackerel

12.4 lbs.

Dean Mitchell

10/6/2007

Spotted Seatrout

16.4 lbs.

John Phillips

5/15/1977

Striped Bass

67.5 lbs.

Devin Nolan

5/13/1995

Tautog

9.0 lbs.

Gary Halbeisen

10/29/2005

Weakfish

16.5 lbs.

Wayne Lappe

5/8/1979

White (American) Shad*

8.1 lbs.

Vance Carter

5/3/1975

White Perch

2.6 lbs.

Sid Stollings

5/18/1979

Yellow Perch

2.2 lbs.

Niles Pethel

11/21/1979

Nontidal Division

Bluegill

3.4 lbs.

Sarah Brenneman

8/9/1998

Carp

47.5 lbs.

Wayne Longenecker

6/11/1997

Catfish, Bullhead

4.9 lbs.

Nick Palese

5/18/2019

Catfish, Channel

27.9 lbs.

Steven Trent Abell

7/5/2004

Catfish, White

7.0 lbs.

Vacant

Chain Pickerel

8.0 lbs.

Lee Haile III

1/2/2015

Crappie, Black

4.4 lbs.

Jason D. Morrison

5/30/2004

Fallfish

2.14 lbs.

Maxwell Diegel

4/19/2021

Largemouth Bass

11.4 lbs.

Colton Lambert

7/31/2013

Muskellunge

33.0 lbs.

Kyle Mullenix

3/2/2022

Northern Pike

24.8 lbs.

Shawn Jacobson

10/16/1999

Redbreast Sunfish

0.8 lbs.

Vacant

Redear Sunfish

2.3 lbs.

Vittie Alkocius

6/4/1985

Rock Bass

1.5 lbs.

Earl Jenkins IV

3/22/2010

Smallmouth Bass

8.3 lbs.

Gary Peters

10/4/1974

Striped Bass

47.1 lbs.

Robert Bruce

9/14/2000

Tiger Muskellunge

29.3 lbs.

Kevin Conner

2/14/1997

Trout, Brook

6.1 lbs.

Mike Fiorita, Jr.

4/10/1999

Trout, Brown

18.2 lbs.

Gary Kuhn

8/3/2001

Trout, Cutthroat

7.6 lbs.

David G. Martin

5/20/2000

Trout, Rainbow

14.2 lbs.

Dave Schroyer

10/21/1987

Walleye

14.3 lbs.

John McCarley

5/16/1998

Warmouth

0.7 lbs.

Dezi Collins

6/11/2018

White Perch

1.9 lbs.

George Venker

4/7/2017

Yellow Perch

3.3 lbs.

Philip Deere IV

3/12/2006

*Not currently accepting new state records for this species due to regulations

State Records

Sport Fish State Records

Rules and Procedures

The department maintains sport fish state records and awards a plaque to an angler whose catch exceeds the current state record or establishes a new species category. Positive identification of the species of fish is mandatory for consideration of state record applications. The catch must be inspected in person by a department fisheries biologist. Immerse the fish in ice water until it can be weighed in order to preserve the weight.

Call 443-569-1398 or 410-260-8300 to report a potential state record catch. You must submit a state record application within two weeks of the date you catch the fish.

State record fish are determined by weight. Most fishing tackle shops do not have certified scales, so call ahead. Other establishments that sell products by weight such as a grocery, deli or shipping store may have a certified scale and be willing to help.

Except for fish in the Invasive Division, all fish must be legally caught with rod and reel during its open season. From the time that a fish strikes or takes a bait or lure, the angler must hook and fight the fish without the aid of any other person. The reel must be operated manually. Once the leader is brought to the rod tip, more than one person is permitted to help land the fish.

Fish designated as eligible for the Invasive Division (currently northern snakehead, blue catfish and flathead catfish) can be caught and kept by all legal recreational fishing gear including rod and reel, bow and spear.

Fish caught from privately-owned fee fishing waters are not eligible for record consideration.

The fish must be considered trophy sized, commonly available and sought after for the department to consider opening a new species category for recognition. Thresholds for trophy size are established by the department using the best data available to create a benchmark weight.

The department reserves the right to investigate the methods used in catching the fish and the accuracy of measuring and weighing. It also reserves the right to reject any application based on the results of the investigation.

State records

All potential state record fish will be reviewed under the official rules. For state records rules and procedures, go to: dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pages/challenge/staterecordrules.aspx