The biggest Atlantic croaker ever caught was landed today by Norman Jenkins of Portsmouth.

Flounder fishing off New Point Light near Mathews County, Jenkins landed an 8-pound, 11-ounce croaker that shattered both the state and world record for the species. The International Game Fish Association all-tackle record for the species a member of the drum family weighed 5-8 and was caught in 2000 off the Alabama coast.

The Virginia mark of 5-13 was caught by Jim Mitchem in 1982 at the Cell, not too far from where Jenkins caught his fish. The Virginia record fish was caught before the IGFA began keeping records on the species.

My fishing buddy, Sammy Brooks, netted it and he thought it was a small black drum," Jenkins said. "Then it croaked. We measured it and said that if it really was a croaker, it was some kind of record.

"It's a croaker."

The fish was certified by Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament representative Jerry Thrash of Queen's Creek Outfitters in Matthews.

Jenkins is giving the fish to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science for study, and having a reproduction mount made.

Man oh Man.   Set that out on a 6/0 spooled with #80 mono and hold on for that World record SNOOK to hit.

Holy #%*&@!!!!! :o I've caught a couple 3lb croaker but oh my God man that is a monster.

Looks I'll be goin out in the bay more often now

nice fish 8-)

Man oh Man. Set that out on a 6/0 spooled with #80 mono and hold on for that World record SNOOK to hit.

i like your thinking BB! croakers are THE best bait for snook.  

Great story and nice fish.

Man oh Man.   Set that out on a 6/0 spooled with #80 mono and hold on for that World record SNOOK to hit.

i like your thinking BB! croakers are THE best bait for snook.

You guys are right on!  Could you imagine the snook that would eat that?  I stuck a 44" Snook on a live Blue Runner that I was using for Jewfish.  

Great fish BTY.  Thanks for posting it and congrats to your friend.

Clarification:  That's the news story.  I don't know either of them.  But it did happen in my neck of the woods.