The Pompano State Records That Exist To Be Broken

One reason that anglers love fishing is their chance to set a state record by landing a pompano of a lifetime. The challenge with catching such a big fish keeps anglers coming back for more. The beauty of pompano fishing is how delicious a meal they make after landing them. We have done the research and compiled the state records in one place. After talking with anglers and organizations who helped with scoring a state record pompano, it was noted the three best baits for catching pompano are shrimp, clams, and sand fleas.

Try Your Luck At A Pompano Record (Photo Credit: NOAA Fisheries)

Many of these record pompanos were caught over 20 years ago and ready to be broken. Pompano records are be a challenge to break, but the thrill of chasing the pompano state record drives anglers. A record pompano fish is indeed a large and fantastic fish, and should you be lucky enough to hook one should be cherished for a lifetime. Many anglers are happy with filling a cooler of pompano 1 pound or bigger. Some thrill-seeking anglers seek the big pompano and fish for the 5 pounds or bigger. Hopefully, you will get the chance to catch a monster pompano so let's look at the state pompano records in more detail.

World Record Pompano 

World Record Pompano Caught In Florida Surf By Manuel Briceno.

This unofficial world record pompano was caught by local surf caster Manuel Briceno fishing with Fishbites E-Z Clam strip baits. He was lucky enough to land this fish on the shores of South Florida. This record fish was caught and gutted and weighed in at 8.8 pounds shattering the Florida and pompano world record. This pompano is a once in a lifetime fish and would have cleared the 9lb mark not gutted.

Record Pompano Fish From Every State

State Pompano Records From Each State

Alabama Pompano State Record

The Alabama pompano state record is 6 pounds 13 ounces held by Patricia Lynn Cluck out of Foley, AL, who landed this record size pompano on 04/28/2010. This fish was indeed a monster pompano and has withheld the test of time for the last ten years. This is a record-breaking pompano will be a challenging fish to beat.

Delaware Pompano State Record

Florida Pompano are not currently eligible for an individual Delaware record. 

Florida Pompano State Record

Barry Huston caught the official Florida State record pompano on October 16, 1999. His monster pompano had a fork length of 20.5 inches. It weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and was caught in the water of Port St. Joe on sand fleas.

Georgia Pompano State Record

The Georgia state pompano record is a giant fish. This pompano fish weighed in at 5 pounds 4 ounces and was caught by Bill Knightbuford in 2002. This is a Georgia state record that can be broken one day by a colossal pompano fish.

Louisiana Pompano State Record

Louisiana holds one of the biggest pompano fish caught on record in the world. This is also one of the oldest records on this list; this monster pompano was hooked in September 1969 by Buddy Pons. This once in a lifetime fish weighed in at a record 8.50 pounds. This is a record that may never be broken. 

Maryland Pompano State Record

David Schrock record-breaking 5.05-pound Pompano

The Maryland state record pompano was caught labor day weekend 2019 by David Schrock. This monster fish weighed in at 5.05 pounds and was caught off Tilghman Island while surf fishing. Upon measuring it from the tip of the snout to the tail's fork, it came in at 18.5 inches. This once in a lifetime fish put up a ten-minute fight and was worth every minute.

Mississippi Pompano State Record 

Jack Alexander caught the Mississippi pompano state record on February 9th, 2002. He landed his record pompano on traditional tackle, and it weighed in at 4 pounds 15.70 ounces. 

North Carolina Pompano State Record

The North Carolina pompano state record was caught back in 2001, 20 years ago, by John F. Vickers out of Carolina Beach. His monster pompano fish weighed in at a whopping 8 pounds. This was indeed a big pompano and one that will stand for a long time.

South Carolina Pompano State Record

South Carolina has a huge fish recorded for the pompano state record. This fish was caught back in 1975 out of Charleston by C. Mullinax Sr. His pompano tipped the scales at 8 pounds 12 ounces. This would be the world record fish if IGFA existed back in 1975. This was a beast of a fish and will never be broken in South Carolina. 

Texas Pompano State Record

Juan Carrillo III holds the Texas state pompano record. On June 18, 2006, he was fishing in the lower laguna madre who he hooked the monster pompano. He caught it on live shrimp. After landing the fish, he knew he had something special. It weighed in at 6 pounds 6.2 ounces and had a length of 24.63". This was a fish for the Texas record books.

Virginia Pompano State Record

The Virginia pompano state record was caught off Scarborough Island back in 1992. The angler was Robert T Long, and who would have thought his record would have lasted for almost 30 years. His pompano fish weighed in at 5 pounds 10 ounces. This is a record that can and should be broken. 

** States We Could Not Find Pompano Records: Conneticut, Massachusettes, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island

*** If you have a picture of any of the fish listed above that may be better than what we have, please email them to us [email protected]

Catching a pompano over 4 pounds is a dream of many anglers, much less catching a fish that can be a potential state record. Very few anglers get this opportunity, but you never know when it will be your day. The best way for trying to break a pompano state record is getting out there and fishing. You cant break a record if your not catching fish. Catching pompano is easy and fun and can be done with the whole family spending the day at the beach. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to leave us a comment below or email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear about your near-record monster pompano experiences. We would also like to see all of your pompano catches, so make sure you send us all your great catches to be featured on our social media pages. Make sure to check out our pompano species page for other excellent pompano fishing blogs. Make sure to check out our amazing one of a kind pompano recipes for any occasion. Don't forget to get stocked with our pompano jigs for your next fishing trip. We hope you get out there and set your pompano state records today!