BRUNSWICK — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has announced a women’s state record for king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla, landed in Georgia by Jessica Pace of Savannah.

On May 21, Pace caught a 45-pound, 7-ounce king mackerel while fishing the R6 Navy Tower with Capt. Tommy Smoak aboard the Smoak’in. Pace’s record catch replaces the longstanding record of 42 pounds set in 1982 by Joyce Richards.
Pace received a certificate from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources acknowledging her catch, which will be added to the Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Records list published at www.coastalGaADNR.org and included in the 2017 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations.

Constructed in the 1980s by the U.S. Navy, R6 is one of eight structures off shore of Georgia providing fishing opportunities for pelagic gamefish, such as king mackerel, amberjack and barracuda.

Anglers wishing to enter a fish for a state record must be sure to have the fish weighed on a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale in the presence of at least one witness.

Anglers can also check local seafood markets, grocery stores and feed-and-seed stores. During business hours, anglers can have their catch weighed at the DNR Coastal Regional headquarters in Brunswick.

A listing of the rules and current men’s and women’s records can be found at www.CoastalGADNR.org, along with information on how to submit a fish for consideration.

In addition to an accurate weight, it’s important to provide several photographs of the fish, along with the application. There are also minimum weights for several species.

For more information, contact the Coastal Resources Division at 912- 264-7218.