Shantel Curlett, from Jacksonville, Florida, has made history by setting a new state women’s saltwater record for Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has officially certified her catch of a 2-pound, 3.52-ounce pompano on October 8th, which she caught while participating in the Kids Can Fish Foundation’s Running of the Bulls Charity Redfish Tournament on East Beach of St. Simons Island.
Curlett’s impressive catch surpasses the previous record of 1 pound, 7.68 ounces held in a tie by Cathy Sanders of Palm Coast, Florida, from 2022 and Laura Cheek of Houston, Texas, from 1982. She used a 10-foot Over The Bar rod and Daiwa reel spooled with Diamond Illusion 16-pound, hi-visibility orange line. Her terminal rig was a hand-tied double-drop rig with 1/0 (pronounced “one-ought”) Owner Mutu Light circle hooks weighted with a 4-ounce sinker. She was using salted ghost shrimp as bait.
Curlett’s catch was weighed on the same day by a DNR employee at the DNR Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick using a scale certified by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The DNR’s Coastal Resources Division (CRD) has congratulated Curlett on her achievement and provided her with a state record certificate signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon, and CRD Director Doug Haymans. Her name will appear in the 2024 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations Guide and has been added to the state saltwater records list online at CoastalGaDNR.org/SaltwaterRecords.
The DNR reminds all anglers to follow best practices for ethical and responsible fishing, which includes proper handling and release of fish not intended for consumption. The new state record for Florida pompano is a testament to the fishing in Georgia and the skills of the state’s anglers. The DNR encourages all anglers to continue practicing safe and responsible fishing and to report any potential record-setting catches to the DNR for verification.
It is important to note that anglers in Georgia are required to have a valid recreational fishing license, a free Saltwater Information Program permit, and to follow size and possession limits for various species. Please share this exciting news! Shantel Curlett, a 53-year-old woman from Jacksonville, Florida, has set a new record by catching the largest Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) in the state. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has certified her catch, which weighed 2 pounds and 3.52 ounces, as the new state women’s saltwater record. She made the catch on October 8th while participating in the Kids Can Fish Foundation’s Running of the Bulls Charity Redfish Tournament on East Beach of St. Simons Island.
Curlett’s catch beats the previous Florida pompano record held in a tie by Cathy Sanders of Palm Coast, Florida, from 2022, and Laura Cheek of Houston, Texas, from 1982. The previous record was 1 pound and 7.68 ounces.
Curlett used a 10-foot Over The Bar rod and Daiwa reel spooled with Diamond Illusion 16-pound, hi-visibility orange line. Her terminal rig was a hand-tied double-drop rig with 1/0 (pronounced “one-ought”) Owner Mutu Light circle hooks weighted with a 4-ounce sinker. She was using salted ghost shrimp as bait.
Curlett’s catch was weighed the same day by a DNR employee at the DNR Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick on a scale certified by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. DNR’s Coastal Resources Division (CRD) congratulated Curlett on her achievement. It provided her with a state record certificate signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon, and CRD Director Doug Haymans.
Curlett’s name will appear in the 2024 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations Guide, and her catch has been added to the state saltwater records list online at CoastalGaDNR.org/SaltwaterRecords.
The DNR encourages ethical and responsible fishing practices, including proper handling and release of fish not intended for consumption. The new state record for Florida pompano is a testament to the fishing in Georgia and the skills of the state’s anglers. DNR encourages all anglers to continue practicing safe and responsible fishing and to report any potential record-setting catches to the DNR for verification.
Anglers in Georgia must have a valid recreational fishing license, a free Saltwater Information Program permit, and comply with size and possession limits for various species. Please share this exciting news!