# World record croaker



## Billfish (Sep 11, 2003)

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.


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## John81 (Apr 24, 2007)

wow thats a big arse croaker any idea on the length?


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## French (Jun 18, 2005)

that is a big croaker. Don't let those Maryland guys see this, they will take over Va Beach!


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## Billfish (Sep 11, 2003)




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## tom_s (Oct 20, 2006)

any pictures taken?I gotta see what an 8lb croaker looks like!


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*NIce Guys*

Thats not a bad looking fish once they get that big....


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## ShoreFisher72 (Jul 13, 2005)

holy S*@% ! nice fish.


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## Sea2aeS (Jan 7, 2005)

Thats f*&^%#g awesome!!!!!!! Gnarly!!!

CROAKAHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## baitslingin (Jul 31, 2005)

that dude is my pharkin hero


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## kerby808 (Oct 9, 2005)

thats one pretty croaker! good job


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## tom_s (Oct 20, 2006)

holy ****!!!!thats one HUGE croaker!!!!How did he avoid a hook for so long???


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## Jaron15 (Aug 14, 2007)

Heres a pic

<a href="http://server7.pictiger.com/img/524307/picture-hosting/championcroaker.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://images7.pictiger.com/thumbs/e2/e63d3afd38746d2a91e97b116f2252e2.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Image is Free Hosted By Pictiger.com" /></a>


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Wow*

What a beautiful fish.


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## POMPINOLOVER (Jun 29, 2006)

Amazing ....I would of thought it was a pup whan i first pulled it in .. Just goes to show this is why we saltwater fish , never know what ya gonna get .....D


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

Just imagine what these waters held back in the early days before we netted fish into oblivion.


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## the rhondel (Feb 6, 2003)

daum...that had to be one loud .."crooooak"...the R


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## HOOK'N&SLING'N (Sep 29, 2004)

*Amazing*

That is truly one AMAZING fish. Croaker like that will convert Mr. Croaker into a bonafide targeted gamefish...:fishing:


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Thats a big croaker.


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## Big Worm (Mar 29, 2005)

cygnus-x1 said:


> Just imagine what these waters held back in the early days before we netted fish into oblivion.



I think that very same thing to myself when fishing all the time.


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## marstang50 (May 3, 2005)

wow, thats nuts and cool it was caught in VA


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

Daum is right.

That thing's got a bigger head than NS4D.


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## seeknfin (Dec 28, 2006)

What a catch, I guess we'll see their pictures soon advertising various fishing products.........I'd love to have made that catch it would fulfil one of two fishing goals for the year. Catch two fish big enough for citations, one being croaker and the other either spot or flounder.

Nice job guys... looking forward to seeing the pics.


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## RedskinFan228 (Jun 28, 2004)

Fish Growth Steroids????? Hmmmm.....first baseball now fish. Look at the head on that thing someone needs to post a picture of bonds in hs early days and a current one then a picture of a regular croaker and this one. That would be funny


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## Tonyfish (Aug 9, 2007)

RedskinFan228 said:


> Fish Growth Steroids????? Hmmmm.....first baseball now fish. *Look at the head on that thing someone needs to post a picture of bonds in hs early days and a current one then a picture of a regular croaker and this one. That would be funny *



hahahahahahahah!, that was priceless


ptown represent!


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## Baitshack (Aug 28, 2004)

*And Bait & Tackle Store*

Always new Portsmouth had the best bait and tackle store. Now it is proven we have the best fisherman.

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