The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a Deal Island resident has set a new state fishing record in the Chesapeake Division for sheepshead.
Dave Alveberg caught the 13.73-pound record breaking fish Aug. 17, in roughly 4 feet of water off South Marsh Island near Tangier Sound.
Intent on catching white perch and rockfish, Alveberg was using soft crab as bait when his line went “haywire.” After a brief struggle he pulled aboard the record sheepshead.
“Seeing something like this on my boat was amazing,” Alveberg said. He plans on getting his sheepshead mounted for display.
The sheepshead’s weight was confirmed by Brent Malone of How Sweet It Is, a market in Somerset County. The catch broke the previous record 13.3-pound fish caught by Dan Thomas in 2016.
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. Fish caught from privately-owned, fee-fishing waters are ineligible for consideration.
Anglers who think they have a potential record catch should download and fill out the state record application and call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. The department suggests the fish be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed and certified.