The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has certified a new state record for white marlin. Neil Manning of Ashburn, Va. reeled in the 138-pound fish Nov. 16 while fishing off Hatteras. The fish measured 85 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork in the tail. The girth of the fish measured 37 inches. The former state record for white marlin was 118 pounds, 8 ounces.
The fish was caught off the coast of Oregon Inlet in 1976. The world record for white marlin is 181 pounds, 14 ounces. That fish was caught off the coast of Brazil. Manning caught his fish using live menhaden on a 30-pound test line with a Cape Fear Rod and Shimano TLD-25 reel. For more information, contact Carole Willis, with the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament, at 252-808-8081.