Two bright red-colored fish species kickoff the December Hot Catches report for IGFA world records. Jack Vitek, the IGFA’s World Records Coordinator has included pending records from South Africa, Canada, Costa Rica, several from the U.S. and one from the small Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
Angler Kevin Wong, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, guided by Michael Meredith, landed a 3.77 kg (8 lb 5 oz) Alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus) Oct. 10, while fishing the Norfolk Canyon off the Virginia coastline. Wong needed 20 minutes to land this bright red, large headed, large-eyed deepwater dweller after it hit his squid. Despite this fish species being found in temperate and tropical waters nearly worldwide, Wong’s fish is the first one to possibly qualify for a brand new IGFA All-Tackle record.
The very experienced angling duo, IGFA Representative Martin Arostegui and Captain Bobby McGuinness, went record hunting this past November in Golfito, Costa Rica, specifically for mullet snapper on fly. The two did not disappoint, with Arostegui landing a beautiful 2.04 kg (4 lb 8 oz) mullet snapper (Lutjanus arartus) on November 13, to qualify for the potential men’s 4 kg (8 lb) tippet class record. Arostegui needed only 10 minutes to land the fish after it hit his custom “Arostegui Pilchard” fly. Marty hopes to beat his own current IGFA world record of 0.9 kg (2 lb 0 oz) recorded in 2007. He also already holds five other tippet records for the species.
Johannesburg, South African angler Gregory Grant was fishing South Africa’s Zoo Lake on September 19, when he hooked a 9.53 kg (21 lb 0 oz) sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Grant landed his potential 60 kg (130 lb) line class record fish in 15 minutes using a small carp head for bait. The current IGFA record is 4.94 kg (10 lb 14 oz) documented in 2009 in Ratchaburi, Thailand.
Junior angler Chloe Marie Salazar of Long Beach, California, USA, guided by Thomas Patrick Lee, was fishing off Santa Barbara, Island, California, USA on October 23 when a 11.54 kg (25 lb 7 oz) California yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) hit the squid she was using for bait. After a tough 15 minute fight, Chloe landed the fish qualifying her for the potential IGFA female Junior record. The current IGFA record is 10.34 kg (22 lb 5 oz) caught off Mexico’s Baja Coast in 2004.
By: Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications
