Garrett County Angler Catches Maryland State Record Fallfish

Record 3.01-pound Fish Reeled in from Upper Potomac River

Angler Bryson Meyers with his state record fallfish. Submitted photo, used with permission

For the second time in a month, the state record for fallfish has been broken. Bryson Meyers of Oakland has been recognized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a new state record holder for fallfish – Semotilus corporalis — in the state’s nontidal division.

Meyers caught the 3.01-pound fish on June 16 while fishing in the North Branch of the Potomac River, in the Westernport area. He was on a fly fishing float trip drifting the river for trout when he hooked the impressive fallfish, which measured more than 20 inches in length.

“When I first hooked the fish, we thought it was a large brown trout, and it was doing the typical stubborn bulldog fight near the bottom,” Meyers said. “When the fish came up near the surface and swirled, my fishing partner immediately realized that I may have a new state record fallfish.” 

The impressive fish was weighed on a certified scale at Farm 2 Table meat processor in Oakland. The species was confirmed by Department of Natural Resources biologist Matt Sell. 

The fallfish is actually a chub in the family Cyprinidae, and is the largest minnow species native to eastern North America and the mid-Atlantic region. Fallfish have become popular for sportfishing in Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states since they grow to more than 19 inches long, fight hard, and often make acrobatic jumps after being hooked. 

Abe’s catch broke the previous record of 2.27 pounds caught on May 29 by youth angler Crosby Abe of Cumberland. 

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 to report a potential state record catch. The department recommends the fish be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed, and certified.