Local angler reels in Maryland state record blueline tilefish

BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that London J. Anthony, from Pasadena, has caught a new state record blueline tilefish.

The 20.6-pound, 37.25-inch fish was caught on August 24, while fishing in Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City. Anthony was using a cut ballyhoo chunk bait while deep-dropping. According to the DNR, Anthony had a long morning trolling with no bites, before Captain Chris Little of Talking Trash Charters “pulled a rabbit out of his hat and put everyone on a pile of tilefish,” Anthony said. Anthony’s fish was then landed with another fish that was 24 inches long. He felt like he was reeling in three cinder blocks.

The fish was weighed at Crabs to Go in Berlin and was confirmed to be a blueline tilefish by Maryland Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission chair Scott Lenox. The species is bottom dweller and is frequently found in the same habitat as groupers and snappers. The blueline tilefish has a head-first burrowed head in cone-shaped sand piles.

The previous record was caught by Robert Purcell on September 12, 2012, at Norfolk Canyon. The Maryland DNR maintains records for sport fish in four different divisions: Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal, and Invasive. If you think you may have caught a record fish, you can download a state record application and call 443-569-1398.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo: Angler London J. Anthony (holding fish) caught a state record blueline tilefish off Ocean City. Photo courtesy London Anthony.