Record fish weighed 16 pounds
Brock Davenport of Beaufort, NC landed the new North Carolina state record jolthead porgy on Aug. 9, 2026.
Davenport caught the record fish, which weighed 16 pounds and measured 29.5 inches in length, off Wrightsville Beach.
His catch toppled the previous state record of 14 pounds, 14 ounces, which had stood since 2015.
Jolthead porgies are found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, from Rhode Island down to Brazil, and can be caught offshore in water depths that range from 10 feet deep to more than 650 feet deep. They prefer a range of environments, including hard bottom, coral reef edges, and vegetated or sandy areas, and are usually found near wrecks. They primarily feed on crabs, mollusks, and sea urchins. ■
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