The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record for Almaco Jack, scientifically known as Seriola rivoliana. Warren Poirier from Charles City, Virginia, caught the record-breaking fish weighing 56 pounds and 4.8 ounces off the Outer Banks on June 7, 2025. This catch surpasses the previous state record of 33 pounds and 12.6 ounces set in 2024.
Poirier was fishing with Captain James Bowman at The Rocks when he hooked the fish using a Zest brand jig. After a strenuous battle lasting 45 minutes, Poirier successfully landed the fish with his Shimano Trevala rod and Saltist 5000 reel equipped with an 80-pound braid.
The Almaco Jack measured a fork length of 46 inches and had a girth of 31 inches. The official weigh-in took place at Teach’s Lair Marina.
For those interested in more information about state record fish, resources are available on the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or through contacting the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff via email at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov.
