Free-diving spearfisherman Braden Sherron brought a massive Atlantic cubera snapper to the Port Aransas Fisherman’s Warf on June 3. After the fish was weighed, it was clear it would likely become a new world record. The huge snapper weighed 137 pounds, which would top the existing record by nearly 15 pounds. The photos of the catch went viral when they were posted to Facebook.
Some media stories praising Sherron’s catch touted the fish as a possible Texas state record or an International Game Fish Association record for Atlantic cubera snapper. However, Texas does not have a records category for spearfishing. And the IGFA only recognizes fish taken by rod and reel.
So, Sherron’s remarkable 137-pound cubera seemingly doesn’t qualify for either a Texas fishing record or the IGFA books.
However, Sherron’s catch likely will qualify as a world record for the