SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man has apparently smashed a state record with his catch of a nearly 23-pound dog snapper off the coast of Port Aransas.
Rene Hernandez, 23, snagged the dog snapper Sunday during a fishing trip with friends.
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The dog snapper officially weighed in at 22.82 pounds. The current record for a dog snapper is 14.4 pounds, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Hernandez told KSAT.com a state biologist signed off on a form confirming the fish and its weight to make sure it was identified correctly, but the official record with the TPWD is still pending.
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Hernandez said his group was deep sea fishing about 150 meters down, about 30 to 40 miles off the coast. The bait Hernandez was using was squid.
According to Hernandez, the dog snapper is the largest ever caught in the Gulf of Mexico and only 1.2 pounds off the world record.
Hernandez said he’s been fishing for 15 years and this is the largest catch of his life. He shared these pics with KSAT.com.