A Maryland man set the very first state record for a white catfish with a whopper that broke the minimum weight standard by a healthy margin.
Jacob Vosburgh of Lexington Park caught a catfish that set the new, and first, state record for white catfish in Maryland. White catfish were fairly recently - a few years ago - recognized as a game fish by the state and Vosburgh is the first angler to break the state's seven pound minimum for a fish to be officially recognized for the record books.
Vosburgh's catfish trounced the seven pound minimum with a fish weighing 8.27 pounds and measuring 23 inches in length. He caught the whiskered brute on June 1 in the lower Potomac River while fishing with a friend.
"Even before we took it out of the water, just judging by the size of its head we knew it was state record," said Vosburgh.
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He caught the catfish on a bloodworm hooked to a Carolina rig.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources registered Vosburgh's catfish and reports that they maintain records in four divisions in the state: Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal and Invasive. Fish caught from privately-owned, fee-fishing waters are not eligible for record consideration.
Southern Maryland Online indicates that "anglers who think they have a potential record catch should download and fill out the state record application [dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Documents/srapplication.pdf ] and call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. The department suggests the fish be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed and certified."
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