Maryland angler sets record, becomes a Master Angler

Annapolis, Md. — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has officially recognized James Frazetti Jr., of Crownsville, with a state record for a 7-pound, 8-ounce pompano dolphinfish and also as recipient of a FishMaryland Master Angler Award.

Frazetti is a saltwater and offshore fishing specialist who says fishing the blue water offshore is his favorite type of angling. The award-winning catches were made just one day apart in early October.

Frazetti was fishing with friends aboard the charter boat Talk’nTrash, based out of Ocean City. The 58-foot Gillikin custom Carolina offshore sportfishing boat is captained by Chris Little and mate Jake Bialk.

The crew had been trolling for tuna near the offshore canyons when they noticed a school of small dolphinfish (mahi-mahi). They were trolling lures when they boated a 32.5-inch fish that looked a little different.

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The pompano dolphinfish is very similar to the common dolphinfish, and the two species are often found together in schools. They are highly migratory, ranging from tropical to subtropical waters in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

After returning to shore, Frazetti stopped at Anglers Sport Center in Annapolis to get a certified weight. The fish species was later confirmed as a pompano dolphinfish by DNR fisheries biologist Keith Lockwood. The fish weighed more than twice as much as the previous state record, exceeding it by 5 pounds.

The world-record pompano dolphinfish weighed 11.5 pounds and was caught off the coast of North Carolina in June 2022. Meanwhile, the related common dolphinfish is much larger.

Pompano dolphinfish are not among the dozens of species eligible for FishMaryland awards, so Frazetti’s sizable catch did not earn him his 10th and final trophy-sized fish toward Master Angler status. That milestone came one day later, on Oct. 4, when he hooked a 36.5-inch golden tilefish.

Frazetti’s qualifying FishMaryland catches, in order, were: white marlin – 68 inches, weakfish – 24.5 inches, Spanish mackerel – 24 inches, swordfish – 41 inches, striped bass – 46 inches, yellow perch – 14.5 inches, blue crab – 8.05 inches, blueline tilefish – 29 inches, false albacore – 27.5 inches, and golden tilefish – 36.5 inches.

Frazetti credits his father and uncle for teaching him to fish. He says the bond fishing creates with family and friends is what he enjoys most, and watching his young daughters catch their first fish remains his favorite memory.