Jeremiah Elliott / NC Div of Marine Fisheries
A lucky angler in North Carolina just bagged a two-for-one when he landed a new state record and new IGFA fishing world record Pomfret fish.
There wasn’t previously a state record for the Bigscale Pomfret (Taractichthys longipinnis) so by filling out the paperwork, angler Jeremiah Elliott of Greenville automatically had a new North Carolina state fishing record.
But this pomfret, which looks like an alien species soaked in oil, broke the IGFA fishing world record for Pomfret by over 6 pounds. And it is now a pending fishing world record while the IGFA application goes through the process.
The Bigscale Pomfret, usually just called ‘Pomfret’, is also known as a Long-Finned Bream. These fish live in very deep water, inhabiting depths up to 1,600 feet deep.
Jeremiah Elliott / NC Div of Marine Fisheries
Anglers often catch pomfret, at least in Florida, when they’re targeting swordfish at similar depths and a pomfret steals the swordfish bait.
According to a press release from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, Jeremiah Elliott caught his new fishing world record using live squid (swordfish bait) on ’80-pound test on a Alutecnos Albacore 80 reel paired with a RJ Boyle Swordfish rod.’
The record-setting alien-like fish weighed 26 pounds, 11.4 ounces and it was caught 50 miles east of Morehead City, North Carolina on April 21st. Jeremiah Elliott was fishing with three friends when he caught it (pictured above).
The previous IGFA record for Pomfret was a fish weighing 20-pound, 10 ounces that was caught in Florida in 2004. So this specimen absolutely destroyed that existing fishing record.
Despite looking like an alien that was dipped in black motor oil, the Bigscale Pomfret is a highly-desired fish to eat. It’s supposed to have incredible texture and buttery flavor.
They often catch these in Islamorada in The Florida Keys but it is an extremely rare fish to be landed in North Carolina. This was, in fact, the first specimen ever submitted as a record in NC.