Back on August 26, Matthew Marovich had a record-breaking day out of Sarasota, Fla. He was slow-pitch jigging in deep water when he landed two fish that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently announced as state records.
Marovich caught a 5.56-pound red porgy that bested a 2019 record of 4.8 pounds. He also boated a big 10.55-pound blueline tilefish that smashed the 2021 record of 5.4 pounds.
“Both fish were unexpected catches. I thought I had a queen snapper when I pulled up the biggest red porgy I had ever seen!” said Marovich. “The blueline tilefish felt like a grouper. We were grouper fishing and I was using the slow pitch jig and thought maybe a good sized scamp grouper or a yellowedge was on the other end. I also knew there were snowy grouper in that area. Tilefish is one of my favorites to eat so it was really exciting to see such a nice blueline come to the surface.”
The IGFA all-tackle world record for blue line tilefish was caught off New Jersey in 2015. It weighed 23 pounds, 4 ounces. The all-tackle world record for red porgy was caught out of Gibraltar in 1997. It weighed 17 pounds.
For to see current records, go to CatchaFloridaMemory.com