It Might Have Been a State Record

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Lower Eastern Shore
Location: West of South Marsh Island

Caught this nice sheepshead on July 12th on a beautiful day while fishing at the American Mariner Navy Target Ship to the west of South Marsh Island. The waves were flat, so the opportunity to take my boat out a little further was too much to resist! I was hoping to catch a nice cobia since I had heard they were being caught recently. After about an hour, I was ready to move on as not even a minnow had touched my bait. Then it struck like a purse-snatcher! It only took about 3 minutes to land this magnificent fish. I nearly knocked my wife Patty overboard trying to net it. It was just over 24" and I estimated it to be close to 15 lbs. I then released it thinking it was a small black drum and not that it may have qualified as a state record sheepshead. On the positive side, it will live to be caught another day!