New North Carolina State Tarpon Record Set

According to a press release from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, a Carteret County angler, Malcolm Condie, set a new state record when he reeled in a 193 pound 5-ounce tarpon while fishing for king mackerel off a North Topsail Island pier.

“It hit the king rig at 12:30 (p.m.) and I landed it within an hour,” Condie said.
The fish measured 80 inches fork length (tip of the nose to the fork in the tail) and had a girth of 42 inches.
Jesse Lockowitz held the previous state record with a 175-pound tarpon caught at Bogue Inlet Pier Sept. 7, 2005. The world record tarpon was 283 pounds, caught in Africa.

Condie said he initially hoped to donate the fish to the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Instead, researchers with the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences happened to be in the area, so he allowed them to remove the ear bones and other fish parts for DNA, and age tests.

“They’ve never had access to a (tarpon) of this size in North Carolina,” Condie said.

New NC Green Sunfish Record - 1 Pound 14 Ounces

When Wake county angler Sean Vanderburg hooke d this fishe he thought he had a largemouth bass on the line. Instead to his surprise he had a new North Carolina State Record Sunfish. That my friends makes for a big fish sandwhich.

Vanderburg, an avid hunter as well as fisherman, says he fishes this pond quite a bit, which is located on the same property where he hunts. He catches mostly smallish largemouth bass, and the occasional bluegill. On this particular day, he thought he had hooked a nice-size largemouth bass, maybe a 4-pounder, and was shocked to find what he thought might be a pumpkinseed — albeit a giant one — dangling on the end of the line.
“I’d never seen a sunfish that big before, so I had a little freak-out moment,” Vanderburg said. After he pulled himself together, he began calling friends to see what the state records were for all the sunfish species found in North Carolina. He then contacted Corey Oakley, a fisheries biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, to find out exactly what he had reeled in.

Link the the NCWRC press release. Photo from the release.

State Record Caught on Barbie Rod

The Charlotte Observer is reporting a new North Carolina state record 21 lb Channel Catfish has been caught in a Wilkes county private pond. This record comes with a twist as the behemoth was landed on the Barbie rod pictured in the above photo (Courtesy of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission).

David Hayes landed the fish, which weighed 21 pounds, one ounce, on Aug. 5 in a private pond in the northwestern North Carolina county. He was fishing with his granddaughter Alyssa, 3, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission said.

So how did a grown man end up with a Barbie rod in his hand? Was it the typical "here, let me show you how to do it" that my own offspring has to deal with when fishing with dad?

"After catching two or three bluegill, Alyssa turns to me and says 'Papa, I've got to go to the bathroom. Hold my fishing rod,'" Hayes recalled

Isn't that how it always happens? The new record holder indicates that he is waiting for the sponsorship offers to start rolling in. Rumor is that the first reward will be new car (a bit on the small side) or perhaps even a Dreamhouse.

Head nod to the Editorial Trophy wife for finding this one.