A friendly competitive measure of sport fishing in Florida is catching on with more and more anglers and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reporting they have registered a record number of records this year.
The were 18 records approved for the Florida Saltwater State Records program this year. FWC officials say they’ve seen a “drastic increase in participation” in both the adult and youth categories for length of catch and weight areas in 2025.
“It has been so exciting to see anglers of all ages taking advantage of these opportunities in the Fishing Capital of the World. The participation we have seen from both adults and youth setting these records and engaging in our angler recognition programs really emphasize the passion Florida has for fishing,” said Jessica McCawley, Director of the FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management.
This year, there were six records that were set in the adult categories with a new yellow jack all-tackle record at 27.6 pounds caught while spearfishing by Nathanial Campbell. Then a length record set by Watson Eugene Wilson and Renee Knight who both set the new adult record for length for red drum at 38.75 inches and snook at 36 inches respectively. But the snook record was overcome by Carl Caradonna who caught a 40-inch snook late this year.
Red porgy and Atlantic bonito fishing also saw new records. Billy Ray Pierce set the all-tackle record for red porgy by catching a 6.74-pounder and Joel Hierholzer nailed a record by landing a 9.56-pound Atlantic bonito.
Youth anglers were even more successful in setting 12 records for fishing in Florida in 2025. Julia Bernstein set five records alone with youth length records in all-tackle benchmarks for vermillion snapper, crevalle jack, blackfin tuna and mutton snapper. The mutton snapper record was later eclipsed this year by Jeremiah Pelequine II with a 15.7-pounder.
Cash Ward set the record for an all-tackle spotted seatrout at 3.49 pounds. That was another record that was broken later this year in December when Chase Curry landed a 3.7-pound spotted seatrout.
Theo Zellers set a youth record for sheepshead, Harrison Farshid with a black sea bass, Carsin Atcheson for sheepshead and for tripletail and Brandon Canedy for Spanish mackerel.
