Rare catch off Ocean City coast earns Delaware man fishing record

A Millsboro man caught a rare, record-setting fish off the coast of Ocean City last week, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Brian Gay of Delaware has been recognized by the department for a state fishing record in the Atlantic Ocean Division after reeling in a rare white hake March 16.

Gay, an experienced angler, was fishing for sea bass in roughly 280 feet of water 50 miles off the coast in Poor Man’s Canyon when he felt the bite. After several minutes, Gay’s “monster” fish finally came to the surface. He caught the 16.71-pound fish using a “top-and-bottom” two-hook rig with a 16-ounce sinker and clam bait.

“I had no idea what it was,” Gay said, noting that he and his companions thought what they had was a world record red hake, which is similar in appearance.

To correctly identify the species, a department biologist carefully counted scales and examined the fish’s eye and jaw structure. Once officially identified as a white hake —…