A Cambridge, Maryland man just broke a state record more than three decades old, with the mahi mahi he caught off the coast of Ocean City.
Jeff Wright of Cambridge caught a 72.8-pound common dolphinfish, or mahi mahi, off the coast of Ocean City.
Wright’s catch beat the existing record in the Atlantic Division held by Kim Lawson, who reeled in a 67.8-pound common dolphinfish in July 1985.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says Wright was aboard a boat above Poor Man’s Canyon when his rod “went crazy” shortly afternoon.
“It literally took 25 minutes to get this in,” Wright said. “I had to play it until it finally gave up,” he told DNR.
Wright and some friends on the boat were reportedly practicing ahead of the White Marlin Open. The mahi mahi’s weight was certified by Sunset Marina in Ocean City.
“It’s really exciting to see anglers like Wright break records that have been on the books for decades,” Recreational Fishing Outreach Coordinator Erik Zlokovitz said. “It just shows that with a little patience you could find yourself a part of Maryland’s angling history.”
-Meg Walburn Viviano
