Ellicott City Angler Sets State Record For Great Barracuda Caught Near Ocean City

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — An Ellicott City man has set a state record for the great barracuda he caught off the coast of Ocean City, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Stephen Humphrey's fish weighed 13 pounds. He snagged it Oct. 6 while trolling for yellowfin tuna with a rigged skirted ballyhoo bait offshore at the Washington Canyon. He was fishing on the charter boat Wrecker with mate Cody Smith and Captain Bobby Layton, according to the DNR.

The weight of the barracuda was confirmed and certified at the Ocean City Fishing Center, and it was measured at 40 inches fork length and 42 inches total length.

The department maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions – Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal and Invasive – and awards plaques to anglers who achieve record catches.