Off the coast of North Carolina, avid fisherman Jeremiah Elliott recently experienced a fishing trip unlike any other. Joined by three friends, the tackle shop owner was initially expecting to catch swordfish.
However, upon feeling a powerful pull on his line, he realized he had caught something far larger than the anticipated 12-pound fish.
With the enormous creature now reeled in, Elliott and his friends were initially puzzled by their catch. Upon reaching the shore and regaining phone service, they researched and identified it as a bigscale pomfret.
Comparing the fish’s weight to the previous world record of 20 pounds, they estimated their catch to be significantly heavier.
Using a hand scale onboard, they determined their fish weighed roughly 26 pounds. Once ashore, the group officially weighed the fish at a weigh station, where it registered 26 pounds, 11.4 ounces.
This broke the previous record of 20 pounds, 10 ounces set in Florida in 2004, according to a news release from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Previously, no state record existed for this species.
Elliott is now in the process of applying for a new record with the International Game Fish Association. The massive pomfret measured 35.5 inches in length and had a girth of 30.75 inches.
Bigscale pomfrets, the largest species in the Bramidae family, are typically found in the Atlantic Ocean and can grow up to 35 inches long. They are characterized by a long single dorsal fin and deeply forked tails.
Regarding the future of the record-breaking catch, Elliott and his friends decided to keep and enjoy the fish, claiming it was quite delicious. The catch occurred about 50 miles east of Morehead City, which is situated approximately 80 miles northeast of Wilmington.
Source:
https://news.yahoo.com/massive-fish-caught-off-north-195218587.html
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article274961976.html
