Charlie Biedenharn of Port Aransas caught a 442-pound swordfish that bested the state record by 102 pounds. But his honesty got in the way of the record.
According to Joedy Gray, who administers the state record program for Texas Parks and Wildlife, a deckhand first handled the rod when the fish hit his bait the night of Aug. 24 aboard his father’s boat, the Locomia.
The fish was caught at a spot called Colt 45, which is about 60 miles offshore.
Gray said stories such as this are rare. But he said the rule is clear. From the moment the fish hits the lure, a single angler must set the hook and that angler alone must handle the rod until the fish is landed for a state record to be certified. The department does not issue polygraph tests to qualify state records.
Capt. Dee Wallace, who greeted Locomia Capt. Rand Clark when the boat returned to Fisherman’s Wharf in Port Aransas, said word spread through town quickly about the giant swordfish. About 30 onlookers came to marvel at the catch and shoot photos.
According to Joedy Gray, who administers the state record program for Texas Parks and Wildlife, a deckhand first handled the rod when the fish hit his bait the night of Aug. 24 aboard his father’s boat, the Locomia.
The fish was caught at a spot called Colt 45, which is about 60 miles offshore.
Gray said stories such as this are rare. But he said the rule is clear. From the moment the fish hits the lure, a single angler must set the hook and that angler alone must handle the rod until the fish is landed for a state record to be certified. The department does not issue polygraph tests to qualify state records.
Capt. Dee Wallace, who greeted Locomia Capt. Rand Clark when the boat returned to Fisherman’s Wharf in Port Aransas, said word spread through town quickly about the giant swordfish. About 30 onlookers came to marvel at the catch and shoot photos.
