PENDING IGFA World Record YELLOWEDGE Grouper!!!!!!

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IGFA Announcement

Dr. Julie Ball
IGFA Representative, Virginia Beach

YELLOWEDGE GROUPER, 46-pounds,2-ounces
Pending IGFA All-Tackle World Record

12 March 2008
I got the call from Captain Skip Feller from the Virginia Beach Fishing Center last night at about 8:30pm. He had taken a group of anglers aboard the Rudee Angler to the edge of the Norfolk Canyon, and was reporting a nice catch of fish with a dozen or so nice grouper. Skip now has an interest in grouper since he caught a juvenile Warsaw grouper on a prior trip. He had purchased a few fish ID books to keep them onboard. He described the grouper to me, and we agreed he had a few decent snowys. But as he described the others to me, I could tell they were neither snowys nor Warsaws. I told him they sounded like yellowedge grouper to me. I asked him, “How much did that big one weigh again?” As he told me, I checked the existing world record, and sure enough, his angler’s catch beat the existing IGFA World Record by several pounds. The existing record is 41pounds, 1-ounce. I told him we needed to verify the species and certify that fish; it is a new World Record! Skip began pouring over his species books, and agreed he thought it was a yellowedge.

The next day, we had the fish verified by an official marine biologist, and began the IGFA certification process at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle, the local official IGFA weigh station. The angler is Heath Cataulin of Norfolk, Virginia. He was using a hand-tied two hook rig with Mustad circle hooks donned with squid on a Penn Baja reel and Ugly Stick rod combo. The fight took approximately 15 minutes to bring the grouper onboard. The angler is still debating whether he should have the fish mounted.

Captain Skip Feller comes from a long line of local respectable charter captains, so it is no surprise he is breaking ground on the deep-dropping front!

Congratulations to the angler, Captain and Crew of the Rudee Angler out of the Virginia Beach Fishing Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Julie

Virginia Beach is fast getting its proper recognition as a world class fishery - but we've known that for years. Congrats on the catch!

Just when you think you have a handle on what Virginia waters have to offer, a new species and a new fishery pop up. It's amazing how little we know about our own near shore waters. Pretty work Captain!

The fish dosn't fall under cute, But a new world record, It needs to be Mounted. MAN.
He'll be sorry if he don't.

Yeah...mounted between two pieces of bread, some letuce and a slice of tomato!!!

Congrats to the angler and kip and crew of the Rudee Angler...a VBSF Sponsor!!!

Don't forget the Tartar sauce!

Congrats to Skipper & Co. Skipper has seen more channel markers than most drivers have seen telephone poles.

Congrats to all !...SAAMWITCHES !!!!!!!
Todd

CONGRADS.. TO ANGLER AND CREW......Beautiful fish......Great catch......Interesting fish....

Let's just keep this to ourselves!! Else we will be flooded with damn yankees and environmentalists...

That's awesome news! Congrats to Heath and Capt Feller .

Best Regards,
Fletcher

PS - Have it mounted!

Thanks for that report, Dr. Julie! That's exciting news!!!