QUOTE
State spadefish record falls again
Michael Hanhart of Huddleston caught a 13 pound, 5 ounce fish to set a new mark.
At the time, Hanhart said he didn't expect his record to enjoy the longevity of the record he broke.
He was right.
Not even a month after Hanhart caught his fish, Austin Edwards of Powhatan caught an even bigger one. Edwards' 14-pound fish was recently approved as the official record.
Edwards, 17, was fishing with his father and brother at the Cell in the Chesapeake Bay. The Cell is a traditional spadefish hot spot that produced Otis Tribble's long-standing 13-pound state record.
The fish was 24 inches long, with a girth of 26 inches. It hit a piece of clam.
Although 2006 has been a banner year for huge spadefish, it's been only fair in terms of numbers of trophy fish.
Through Wednesday, the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament had registered 120 spadefish meeting the tournament minimum size of 9 pounds. Citation numbers were around 200 at this time last year, and more than 250 two years ago.
Michael Hanhart of Huddleston caught a 13 pound, 5 ounce fish to set a new mark.
At the time, Hanhart said he didn't expect his record to enjoy the longevity of the record he broke.
He was right.
Not even a month after Hanhart caught his fish, Austin Edwards of Powhatan caught an even bigger one. Edwards' 14-pound fish was recently approved as the official record.
Edwards, 17, was fishing with his father and brother at the Cell in the Chesapeake Bay. The Cell is a traditional spadefish hot spot that produced Otis Tribble's long-standing 13-pound state record.
The fish was 24 inches long, with a girth of 26 inches. It hit a piece of clam.
Although 2006 has been a banner year for huge spadefish, it's been only fair in terms of numbers of trophy fish.
Through Wednesday, the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament had registered 120 spadefish meeting the tournament minimum size of 9 pounds. Citation numbers were around 200 at this time last year, and more than 250 two years ago.