Three anglers each land state-certified record fish

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries announced Friday that it had recently certified three state record fish: a yellowmouth grouper, a white grunt and an almaco jack.

Officials said the fish were near world record size.

Christopher Hyche of Chapin, South Carolina, caught the 23-pound yellowmouth grouper, or Mycteroperca interstitialis, offshore of Calabash on May 3.

There was no previous North Carolina state record for yellowmouth grouper. The International Gamefish Association world record is 23 pounds, 3 ounces, making Hyche’s fish just 3 ounces shy of the world record.

Hyche previously held a state record in South Carolina for a mangrove snapper. He landed the yellowmouth grouper using a whole sardine and 60-pound braid on a Penn Torque 40 NLD2 reel pared with a Shimano Talavera rod.

Hyche’s fish measured 33.5-inches fork length (from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail) and had a 25.5-inch girth. The fish was weighed in at Mad Kingz in Ocean Isle.

Joshua Pendleton of Southport caught the 5-pound, 3.2-ounce white grunt, or Haemulon plumieri, near the Frying Pan Towers on May 3.

The previous state record white grunt weighed 4 pounds, 13.6 ounces, and was caught off Morehead City in 2023.

Pendleton landed the fish using fish bite and 60-pound braid on a Fin Nor Lethal reel paired with a Penn Mariner II Rod.

Pendleton’s fish measured 20.38-inches total length (from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail) and had a 15.13-inch girth. The fish was weighed at Mad Kingz in Southport.

Roberto Cancel III of Lillington caught the 33-pound, 12.16-ounce almaco jack, or Seriola rivoliana, off Morehead City on June 2. The previous state record was 26 pounds, 15.6 ounces and was established in 2023.

Cancel was aboard the Captain Stacy when the fish struck his whole squid bait. Cancel fought the fish for more than 30 minutes before landing it on his St. Croix Mojo Jig rod and Revo Toro reel with 50-pound braid.

Cancel’s fish measured 39.75 inches fork length (from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail) and had a 28-inch girth. The fish was weighed in at Chasin’ Tails and confirmed by staff at the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters in Morehead City.

For more information on state record fish, go to the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or contact the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff at saltwater.citations@ncdenr.gov.