Anne Arundel County Angler Catches Maryland State Record Blueline Tilefish

Record 20.6-pound fish reeled in from depths of Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City

Angler London J. Anthony (holding fish) caught this state record blueline tilefish off Ocean City. Photo courtesy London Anthony.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognizes London J. Anthony of Pasadena as a new state record holder for blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) in the Atlantic division.

Anthony caught the 20.6-pound, 37.25-inch fish on August 24 while fishing in Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City. He was deep-dropping with a cut ballyhoo chunk bait using a hand-cranked conventional reel.  

“We had a long morning trolling with no bites,” Anthony said. “Later in the day, Captain Chris Little of Talking Trash Charters pulled a rabbit out of his hat and put us all on a pile of tilefish. . . . My fish was landed with another fish 24 inches long — a double header! I felt like I was reeling in three cinder blocks.”

The fish was weighed on a certified scale at Crabs to Go in Berlin. The species was confirmed by Maryland Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission chair Scott Lenox in coordination with DNR recreational fisheries coordinator Erik Zlokovitz.  

The blueline tilefish is a bottom dweller found in water 240-780 feet deep from New Jersey to the Campeche Banks of Mexico. It is frequently found in the same habitat as groupers and snappers, preferring irregular bottoms with sand, mud, and shell hash. It has been found to burrow head-first in cone-shaped sand piles.

Anthony’s catch broke the previous record of 20.0 pounds caught by Robert Purcell​ on September 12, 2012, at Norfolk Canyon.

The Department of Natural Resources maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions — Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal, and Invasive. Anglers who think they have a potential record catch should download and complete a state record application and call 443-569-1398. The department recommends the fish be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed, and certified.