An Ocean City girl has set a new state fishing record with the reeling in of a almost 100-pound fish, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
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The newspaper Daily Times of Salisbury reports about new state record in fisheries.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources said Emma Zajdel caught a 94.6-pound cobia.
The catch was made on June 30, when Emma, her father Ed, Robert Clark and Emma’s best fishing friend, Ashton Clark, were about a mile and a half east of Assateague Island hoping to catch some bluefish.
“We started getting a bite on ours so I got the belt on and Mr. Robert handed me the rod”, said Emma. She weighs less than the fish at 65 pounds.
That’s when they saw it: a massive cobia, bigger than anything Ashton Clarke had ever seen. The fish measured in at 66.5 inches long. The current record is reportedly 48 pounds. Emma set the rod in place and braced for the catch, said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service spokesman Joe Evans. It took to the girl about 20 minutes to reel in the fish, which she originally thought was a shark. Her catch may also win the International Game Fish Association Award for biggest fish caught by someone under 10 years old.
The previous record belonged to a man who caught a 79 pound Cobia fish two years ago.
Officials with the state’s wildlife service weighed it the next day at Sunset Marina in Ocean City, and a state biologist inspected the fish, confirming its size. Even when catching more typical smaller fish, “it is the same fun experience”, he said.
Emma could still have a way to go to take down the cobia records in Virginia and worldwide.
This fish was caught in Maryland waters, where there are no restrictions on catching and keeping cobia, DNR said.
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Emma kept her fish and ate it. Her dad helped to feed 40 friends and relatives for an annual Fourth of July party. According to Emma, she has been fishing since she was a toddler.
