21-31-CWS | July 22, 2021
BILOXI, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources certified five state fishing records this month.
Mason Watts, 12, of Long Beach set the youth record for Red Snapper (Litjanus campechanus) with a fish weighing 19 pounds, 1 ounce. Watts caught the fish using conventional tackle.
A state record using conventional tackle was set for Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) by David Rogers of Coden, Ala., with a shark weighing 377 pounds, 4 ounces. The previous record was 354 pounds, 4 ounces set in July 2017. A record using conventional tackle was also set for the Keeltail Pomfret (Taractes rubescens) by Jimmy Boleware of Gautier with a fish weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces.
Doug Borries of Ocean Springs set two records by fly fishing. The first was for Shark Sucker (Echeneis naucrates) with a fish weighing 3 pounds, 4.8 ounces and the second was for Little Tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus) with a fish weighing 14 pounds, 2.4 ounces.
Photo courtesy MS Department of Marine Resources
- Mason Watts with Red Snapper
- David Rogers with Bull Shark
- Jimmy Boleware with Keeltail Pomfret
- Doug Borries with Shark Sucker
- Doug Borries with Little Tunny
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at dmr.ms.gov.
