As the year draws to an end, here are highlights from some of the top fishing stories that made the headlines in 2021. Shocked and amazed, the readers and will probably be remembered over the years by fishing enthusiasts all over the country!
Fisherman Catches Giant 19-Armed Endangered Starfish in Crab Trap
In case you didn’t happen to come across this one, you should look it up now because this is an amazing sight to see. An ultra-rare sunflower sea star made headlines in October 2021 when a fisherman Lee LeFever caught it during a crab fishing excursion off the shores of Orcas Island located in San Juan County, Washington.
The species is known to be critically endangered, and its population has declined by more than 90%. This one, however, appeared vibrant and healthy with 19 arms in total!
Possible World Record Catfish Caught in Connecticut
A man from Connecticut set a new record in the state after catching a catfish that nearly doubled the weight of the previous record. According to reports, this catch is most likely a new world record!
The 21.3-pound White Catfish was caught by Ben Tomkunas in Coventry Lake in August 2021. Initially, the species of the fish couldn’t be verified as it was so large that it almost looked like Channel Cats. However, later experts confirmed it was indeed a White Catfish and one that seemed to have broken all records so far.
Fisherman Breaks Nearly 30-Year-Old Record in Florida
Felipe Prieto broke a record that had been set in 1993 when he caught a butterfly peacock bass in a Broward County Lake in Florida in October 2021. The fish weighed 9.11 pounds and measured 23 5/16 inches long.
The vibrant and colorful butterfly peacock has been known to attract anglers from all over the country to travel to Florida to catch this bass.
New Fishing Record Category Created in North Carolina After Angler Reels in ‘Exceptionally Large’ Fish
State officials in North Carolina ended up creating a new category after a fisherman caught a large red hind fish in October this year. Matthew Parr’s catch, which weighed 7-pound, 1.6 ounces and measured 21.5 inches, was the reason why a new fishing category was created for this kind of fish.
NJ Angler Sets New Fishing Record in Landlocked Reservoir
The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that Joe Satkowski caught a record-breaking salmon on September 30 this year. The angler from Hampton had been fishing at Merrill Creek Reservoir using a homemade jig as his lure when he reeled in an eight-pound, 10-ounce salmon that measured 26 inches long. The catch beat the previous record by five ounces.
From new records to new categories, this year seems to have seen it all. With some fish nearing extinction and others thriving, it has been an eventful year for anglers all over the country. If you are gearing up for the next fishing season, contact us at Mariner Marine, your trusted and most popular south Florida boat dealers. Our inventory and services will ensure you have a better fishing season than ever before!
