Special to the Courier
BRUNSWICK — Allison Gerber of Savannah is the newest Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Record holder after landing a 148-pound blacktip shark while fishing in the Bull River Marina Shark Tournament on June 7.
Gerber's fish bested the previous women's record held by Wendy Mead of St. Simons by more than 50 pounds. It's also heavier than the current men's record of 131 pounds held by Albert Boyd of Savannah.
Gerber was aboard the vessel "Blood Line" captained by Stephen Bailey when she caught the shark from the Savannah River shipping channel. Coastal Resources Division biologist Carolyn Belcher was on hand at the tournament and positively identified the fish before weighing it on certified scales. "It was a healthy female shark and one of the largest I've seen from Georgia waters," Belcher said.
The Coastal Resources Division maintains records in men and women categories for 53 species of saltwater fishes, including 11 species of sharks.
"Finding certified scales is often the biggest challenge for anglers wishing to enter a fish for consideration," CRD saltwater gamefish records coordinator Doug Haymans said. "We tell fishermen to check with local seafood markets since they typically have a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale."
Anglers may also check with their local grocery stores and farm supply stores.
The landing of a large fish is always cause for excitement and pride, so anglers are asked to familiarize themselves with the current records before they harvest a fish thinking it's a potential record-breaker. A complete list of current saltwater records is available at www. CoastalGaDNR.org along with entry rules and applications. If you send in an application, several clear photographs of the fish should accompany the application. There are also minimum weights for several species. For more information, call Haymans at 912-264-7218 or email him at doug.haymans@gadnr.org.
BRUNSWICK — Allison Gerber of Savannah is the newest Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Record holder after landing a 148-pound blacktip shark while fishing in the Bull River Marina Shark Tournament on June 7.
Gerber's fish bested the previous women's record held by Wendy Mead of St. Simons by more than 50 pounds. It's also heavier than the current men's record of 131 pounds held by Albert Boyd of Savannah.
Gerber was aboard the vessel "Blood Line" captained by Stephen Bailey when she caught the shark from the Savannah River shipping channel. Coastal Resources Division biologist Carolyn Belcher was on hand at the tournament and positively identified the fish before weighing it on certified scales. "It was a healthy female shark and one of the largest I've seen from Georgia waters," Belcher said.
The Coastal Resources Division maintains records in men and women categories for 53 species of saltwater fishes, including 11 species of sharks.
"Finding certified scales is often the biggest challenge for anglers wishing to enter a fish for consideration," CRD saltwater gamefish records coordinator Doug Haymans said. "We tell fishermen to check with local seafood markets since they typically have a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale."
Anglers may also check with their local grocery stores and farm supply stores.
The landing of a large fish is always cause for excitement and pride, so anglers are asked to familiarize themselves with the current records before they harvest a fish thinking it's a potential record-breaker. A complete list of current saltwater records is available at www. CoastalGaDNR.org along with entry rules and applications. If you send in an application, several clear photographs of the fish should accompany the application. There are also minimum weights for several species. For more information, call Haymans at 912-264-7218 or email him at doug.haymans@gadnr.org.