Georgia Certifies New State Record Almaco Jack from St. Simons Angler

Georgia has a new saltwater record on the books, and this one did not just edge out the old mark. It stomped it.

The Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division certified Chris A. Germano of St. Simons Island with a 42-pound, 15.36-ounce almaco jack caught April 4 while bottom fishing at R4, an offshore artificial reef. The previous state record was 27 pounds, 8 ounces, set in July 2024. That is more than a 15-pound jump.

The fish measured about 45.3 inches total length, with a fork length of about 40.2 inches. It was weighed at DNR’s Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick on a Georgia Department of Agriculture-certified scale, then reviewed and approved by CRD’s Saltwater Game Fish Records Review Committee.

That is how a record should be handled: certified scale, measurements, photos, paperwork and agency review. No parking-lot guesses. No internet arguments. Just a legal catch documented the right way.

Artificial reefs, healthy offshore fisheries and anglers who put in the work are all part of this story. Records like this remind people what managed saltwater opportunity can produce when habitat, access and harvest all stay in the conversation.