[Fox News] North Carolina anglers reel in three state fishing records: See the ‘exceptional’ catches
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A yellowmouth grouper, a white grunt and an amaco jack fish were all recently certified as state fishing records by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).
The yellowmouth groper, reeled in by Christopher Hyche, weighed in at 23 pounds and measured 33.5 inches from the nose to the fork in the tail. The catch was just short of a world record.
Yellowmouth groupers have yellow coloring on the inside and corners of their mouths and typically weigh up to 20 pounds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
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“All three of the new state records are exceptional fish, and the yellowmouth grouper is only 3 ounces shy of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) recognized world record,” a sport fishing specialist with the DMF told Fox News Digital.
North Carolina native, Joshua Pendleton, set his own fishing record by catching a 5-pound, 3.2-ounce and 20.38-inch white grunt.
“I reeled it in and my partner, who has fished these waters for 30 years, said, ‘That’s the biggest grunt I’ve ever seen.’ That’s when I knew I had something special,” Pendleton told Fox News Digital.
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He said it took him just a few minutes to reel the fish in.
White grunt fish are known to have a “light bluish-gray body with touches of bronze or yellow.” The creatures make a grunting noise by grinding pharyngeal teeth together, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The previous North Carolina record white grunt weighed 4 pounds, 13.6 ounces, according to the Island Free Press.
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“There are several world record fish that have been landed in North Carolina which highlights just how phenomenal fishing is along our coast,” the DMF’s sport fishing specialist said.
The third record set in the state was an almaco jack caught by Roberto Cancel III. He reeled in the 33-pound, 12.16-ounce fish for more than 30 minutes before landing it, according to the Island Free Press.
“North Carolina is a great fishing destination, and the NC Division of Marine Fisheries typically certifies several new state records each year. Most state record applications are received in the summer when the weather warms up. It’s exciting for the anglers and the division,” the DMF’s sport fishing specialist said.
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Fish that swim in North Carolina’s coastal waters out to three miles offshore are part of the coastal fisheries and are a public trust resource, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
Migratory fish travel up and down the East Coast, from three to 200 miles out, and beyond.
Fox News Digital reached out to Christopher Hyche and Roberto Cancel III for comment.
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