Fisherman goes deep to catch record fish

Fisherman goes deep to catch record fish

Source: usatoday

9/21/2021

Fisherman goes deep to catch record fish

Credit: David Strege

Fishing far off the New Jersey coast in waters up to 1,000-feet deep, George Hanakis reeled up a 23-pound, 8-ounce gray tilefish that beat the state record by a mere four ounces, but it could also qualify as a world record. It’s all in the name.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife announced last week it had certified the gray tilefish as a state record.

Hanakis used 100-pound test of braided line to catch the bottomfish from Wilmington Canyon, located some 70 nautical miles off southern New Jersey. He was fishing aboard the 125-foot charter boat Jamaica, which strongly suggests using braided line since they fish in very deep water, up to 1,000 feet.