Two New Georgia State Shark Records

Staff of the Constituent Services Program of the GA Department of Natural Resources/Coastal Resources Division have announced that three new state saltwater gamefish records have recently been set.

Deborah Carpenter of Savannah, Georgia has established a new women’s state record for lemon sharks with an 322-pound fish caught on July 8, 2011. This smashes the long-standing state minimum weight for the species of 50-pounds which was established more than three decades ago. The record fish was landed by Carpenter while fishing the south channel of the Savannah River at Cockspur Island. The shark had a total length of 112 inches and a girth of 51 inches.

A 121-pound, 9-ounce bull shark caught on July 23, 2011 by Jennifer Swenson of Jesup, Georgia has been certified as the new women’s Georgia state record for the species. The existing state minimum requirement for the species was 50-pounds. Swenson caught her fish while bottom fishing at the St. Simons pier. The bull shark has a total length of 78 inches and a girth of 34 inches.

David Blackshear of St Simons Island, Georgia, has established a new state record for gray snapper with a 12-pound, 8.6-ounce fish caught June 1, 2011. The record-setting snapper bested the existing state record of 10-pounds, 8-ounces set by Jason Carter in 2009. Blackshear caught his snapper while bottom fishing the Brunswick Snapper Banks. The fish had a total length of 28 inches.

Anglers received certificates acknowledging their record catch, which will be added the Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Records list published on its site under State Records and in the 2012 Georgia Sportfishing Regulations.

Anglers wishing to enter a fish for a new state record must have it weighed on a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale in the presence of at least one witness. Certified scales can be found at local seafood markets, grocery stores and feed-and-seed stores. In addition to a certified weight, the applicant must have the species identification confirmed by either inspection by a qualified biologist or by providing several photographs with the application. During business hours, anglers can have their catch identified and weighed at the Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick.