11 Record-Breaking Alabama Catches
In Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
2022 was an extraordinary year for Alabama anglers. Between October 2021 and October 2022, 11 records were set in Alabama. According to Marine Resources Division Director Scott Bannon, 2022 is the best record-breaking year for Alabama since 13 records were established in 2006.
Impressively, two of the record-setting fish from 2022 were broken twice within months after entering the record books. Sheepshead, a common Gulf Coast species, was one of these fish, with the first record-breaking catch weighing in at 14 pounds, 4 ounces by Wesley Olsen. Shortly after, Kendale Jeans hooked a whopping 16-pound, 6.6-ounce sheepshead, toppling the previous 14-pound monster fish.
An uncommon species, the permit, set the other double-breaking record. Although similar looking to a pompano, permits are not as standard in the waters off the Alabama Gulf Coast and are relatively small. The first permit to break records was 6 pounds, 0.54 ounces and reeled in by Annalise Wilson in October 2021. Months later, Patrick Willis caught an impressive 8-pound, 2.4-ounce permit, shattering Annalise’s record.
Other fish to make the list include a 9-pound, 2.88-ounce jolthead porgy, a 13-pound, 1.6 ounce black jack, a 1-pound, 6.4-ounce blackline tilefish, a 2-pound, 5.4-ounce red cornet fish, a 5 pound, 0.28-ounce silvery John Dory, and a 1 pound, 11.2-ounce lizardfish.
Bennie Goldman Jr. reeled in the largest record-breaking catch with a massive 30-pound, 4-ounce horse-eye jack.
The opportunities to hook impressive catches are abundant in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. You're bound to reel in something extraordinary with multiple piers, 32 miles of stunning beaches, and the largest deep-sea fishing charter fleet on the Gulf Coast.
Try your hand at breaking a record this year, and fish the Alabama Gulf Coast!
