Virginia Angler Shatters North Carolina Record with 56-Pound Almaco Jack

In a stunning display of angling prowess, Warren Poirier of Charles City, Virginia, has reeled in a record-breaking 56-pound, 4.8-ounce almaco jack off the coast of North Carolina. This colossal catch, certified by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries, shatters the previous state record set just last year at 33 pounds and 12.6 ounces.

Fishing at 'The Rocks' in the Outer Banks alongside Captain James Bowman, Poirier battled the mighty fish—known scientifically as seriola rivoliana—for an intense 45 minutes. Armed with a Shimano Trevala rod and a Saltist 5000 reel spooled with an 80-pound braid, he hooked the beast using a Zest brand jig. The almaco jack measured an impressive 46 inches in fork length with a girth of 31 inches, a true giant of the deep.

These fish, with their long, dusky bodies and amber-olive stripes, are a rare and formidable catch. According to NOAA Fisheries, almaco jacks can grow over 5 feet and weigh up to 136 pounds, roaming waters from the Atlantic to the Gulf of America and beyond. Poirier’s triumph, weighed at Teach’s Lair Marina in Hatteras, is a testament to both skill and perseverance.

This isn’t just a win for Poirier—it’s a reminder of the untamed wonders lurking beneath the waves, waiting for the next daring angler to make history.