Fisherman catches new record sheepshead in Delaware

David Walker caught the 17.1 pound sheepshead in Lewes on Sept. 29. (DNREC photo)

David Walker caught the 17.1 pound sheepshead in Lewes on Sept. 29. (DNREC photo)

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that a sheepshead fish caught in Lewes last month has set a new state record.

The 17.1-pound fish measured 28 inches long and had a girth of 24 inches.

The fish was caught by David Walker of Boothwyn, Pa. during the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament on Sept. 29. He was using green crab as bait when he caught the sheepshead from a boat in the lower Delaware Bay.

The previous Delaware record was held by Christopher Wentz, who caught a 15.11-pound sheepshead in 2012.

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The world’s biggest sheepshead ever caught weighed in at more than 21-pounds. According to the International Game Fish Association, that big fish was caught near New Orleans in 1982.

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