In one shot Robert A. Davis speared both the New Jersey state record summer flounder and the International Underwater Spearfishing Association’s world record. Davis, of the Bamber Lakes section of Lacey, harvested the fluke diving Barnegat Inlet in proximity to the Barnegat Lighthouse, according to the state Division of Fish and Wildlife. He was in about 20 feet of water.
The fluke weighed 15 pounds, 5 ounces, which exceeded the set minimum weight of 12 pounds in the newly created spearfishing categories in the state. Davis caught the fish on Aug. 4, five days after the state Division of Fish and Wildlife announced the categories would become part of the state Record Fish Program.
State officials said Davis’ fluke was the first certified entry into the spearfishing category.
The International Underwater Spearfishing Association, IUSA was founded in 1950 to promote spearfishing and to assist in scientific and spearfishing competitive efforts. As part of this task, the IUSA became the certifying body and custodian of the spearfishing world records.
The IUSA has certified several hundred records for a variety of fish from large bluewater species to smaller fish.
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STATE CERTIFIED THE CATCH: The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has officially certified the first entry into the new Spearfishing category in the State Record Fish Program.
Robert A. Davis of Bamber Lake, New Jersey, speared the state record fluke (summer flounder) on August 4, 2014, just five days following the initiation of the new Spearfishing category. The fish weighed in at 15 pounds 5 ounces which exceeded the set minimum weight of 12 pounds. The fluke is also being recognized as a World Record by the International Underwater Sprearfishing Association (IUSA).
The exceptional specimen was harvested near Barnegat Lighthouse in 20 feet of water.
For more information, see the Record Fish Program page at www.njfishandwildlife.com/recfish.htm.