Angler breaks Maryland state record with 21-pound snakehead catch

DORCHESTER COUNTY, Md. (WJLA) — Damien Cook of Rhodesdale caught a state record-breaking, 21-pound snakehead fish on July 5, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

“Honestly, I thought it was just your average 30-inch snakehead when I first hooked the fish,” Cook said. ”It pulled hard but I had the advantage of it being close and I got it in the net pretty quickly.”

The fish in fact measured 36 inches long and was a pound heavier than the previous record of 19.9 pounds MDNR said. Kool Ice Seafood in Cambridge measured the fish on their certified scale officials said.

MDNR said Cook was fishing in a kayak with a custom rod and 30-pound test-rated line with a chatterbait as a lure.

The snakehead fish is an invasive species to the Chesapeake Bay area, and anglers are advised by MDNR to kill any fish they catch.

Maryland keeps a full list of state records for different species with photos.