If approved, big dog snapper would be new state record
The old saying that lightning never strikes twice in the same place apparently doesn’t apply to an area off the Louisiana coast some anglers affectionately call “Jurassic Park.”
Primarily coral structure, Jurassic Park is about 120 miles southwest of Fourchon and is part of the Garden Banks in the Eugene Island blocks. In July of last year, Baton Rouge angler Matt Leerkes was fishing with Capt. Joey Maciasz of Down the Bayou Charters when he winched up a 94.2-pound cubera snapper. On Sept. 4, Maciasz took Leerkes and crew back out again. This time, Justin Kennon of Oxford, Miss., hauled in a 30-pound, 6-ounce dog snapper, the pending state and possible world record, in the same area.
The charter started off like many Leerkes and crew have been on with Maciasz in the past. They started off fishing some rig structure closer to port and boxed a limit of grouper and assorted snapper. With ample time, the crew decided to make the run further out in hopes of tangling with something really big and nasty.
“When we want to go catch big weirdos, we get Maciasz to take us to Jurassic Park,” Leerkes said.
Fighting the fish
The amberjack were hungry upon their arrival. After working through several, a live hardtail was sent down 250 feet on a 50-class reel and heavy action rod. Not long after, the rod doubled. With the reel locked down, Maciasz put the catamaran into gear in order to pull the fish free of structure it could hang up on. Kennon was up to bat and started cranking.
“It never really fought or made runs, just a hard, steady pull,” Kennon said. “It was like winching a log off the bottom. I probably fought it for 10 or 15 minutes.”
When the fish came up, they first thought it was a Cubera snapper until it rolled, revealing the large pair of canine teeth responsible for the name.
“We started screaming like a bunch of little girls!” Leerkes said.
Knowing the record book implications of what Kennon had just caught, a heading was set for Grand Isle Marina where the fish was weighed on a certified scale. As of press time, the record book application is pending approval by the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association. If accepted, it will top the current state record of 25.80 pounds held by Ella Douglas since October of 2021 and may also become the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record.
To commemorate the catch, Kennon will be getting a replica made.
“I’m probably spoiled now,” he joked.
