MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new state record for Seriola rivoliana, otherwise known as almaco jack.
Matt Frattasio of Massachusetts caught the 26-pound, 15.6-ounce fish Nov. 8 near the D wreck off Morehead City. There was no previous state record for the species in North Carolina. Georgia and Florida’s state records stand at 7 pounds, 0.7 ounce, and 35 pounds, 9 ounces, respectively.
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Frattasio was aboard Riptide Charters fishing in around 80 feet of water. He landed the fish using live menhaden and 50-pound braid on a Daiwa Saltist MQ 14000 reel paired with a Hogy Tuna jigging rod, according to state officials.
Frattasio’s fish measured 36.4 inches fork length, from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail, and had a 26-inch girth. The fish was weighed and identified by fisheries staff at the Division of Marine Fisheries headquarters in Morehead City.
For more information on state record fish, visit the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or contact the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov.
