North Carolina
North Carolina anglers go swordfishing, instead catch rare species: ‘Prehistoric, almost’
A group of anglers in North Carolina spent an afternoon on the water hoping to catch a swordfish — but wound up reeling in something rare.
On April 21, Jeremiah Elliott, 31, owner of Geronimo Tackle, was joined by Zachary Elliott, his brother, and his fishing buddies, Chandler Butler and Trevor Burns, on his 30-foot regulator center console 60 miles out from the shores of Morehead, North Carolina, Jeremiah Elliott told Fox News Digital.
The Greenville resident took up fishing four years ago with the help of Butler, whom Elliot said has been an avid angler for nearly seven years.
Elliott and the rest of the group were hoping to catch a swordfish out on the water that day, he said.
They headed 60 miles out from the shore, which is quite far out for an average fishing trip, Elliott said.
“We were dropping squid about 2,000 feet down, and we didn’t realize we had a fish on [the line],” he recalled.
When fishing for swordfish, a fisherman will put a 12-pound weight on the line in order to keep the bait close to the bottom of the ocean floor, according to Elliot.
“When you bring a fish up from that depth, a lot of times their stomachs expand, and they float,” he said.
“We didn’t even know there was anything on [the line] until it came to the top,” he added.
Elliott said he and his fellow anglers were unable to identify the species of fish at first.
“We had never caught one before. [We had] only seen pictures of it,” Elliott said.
“It’s a weird looking fish,” he added. “It’s like prehistoric, almost.”
They pulled in the deep-water catch and made the 2½-hour boat ride back to Morehead.
As the North Carolina anglers approached the shore, their cell service kicked in — and they immediately started looking into the unique looking fish they’d caught.
Elliott discovered he had caught a bigscale pomfret (Taractichthys longipinnis).
The bigscale pomfret can be found deep in the Atlantic Ocean and is the largest species in the pomfret family, according to the fact-checked online encyclopedia, Britannica.com.
The fish can reach a length of 35 inches, the site also states.
“It’s very rare to catch them in North Carolina. People catch them in Florida,” Elliot claimed.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries reported that Elliott set the official record in North Carolina for the bigscale pomfret, as no previous records for that species exist in the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality government website.
The current International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record for the bigscale promfret is “listed at 20-pound 10-ounces caught in Florida in 2004,” the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries reported.
Elliot had a feeling that he “significantly” broke the current record, he noted.
Elliott and his fellow anglers took the bigscale pomfret to the nearest weigh station, where the fish measured 26 pounds and 11.4 ounces.
The weight is noted in the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ state record media release.
Elliott is currently working with the IGFA for the official world record title, he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the IGFA and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries for comments on the current status of the record and further information about the bigscale pomfret species.
After the fish had been in the cooler for a few days following the state’s approval, Elliott and his friends treated themselves to a victory meal, with the record-breaking bigscale pomfret as the main course, Elliott said.
Elliott said he and his friends enjoy fishing nearly every weekend and even do “commercial fishing in the fall for giant bluefin tuna.”
“Our lives are pretty much all for fishing here in North Carolina, outside of day-to-day work,” he added.
In comparison to only a few mahi-mahi that they caught earlier that day, the bigscale pomfret was the highlight of the fishing trip, Elliot noted.
As of the 5 AM update Friday, Tropical Depression Four has formed. Areas along the East Coast including North Carolina need to continue monitoring this system. Winds are at 30 MPH and gusts are up to 40 MPH. The pressure dropped to 1009 mb and is moving to the west at 16 mph. TD 4 is expected to become Tropical Storm Debby over the weekend. Tuesday night and Wednesday are First Alert Weather Days due to the threat to ENC from this system but we may need to adjust the timing as we get closer.
It’ll move slowly before escaping to the north next week. As it moves up the East Coast, there’s a lot more uncertainty about the track and threats. We expect the track of this system to change through the weekend and even into next week. If ENC sees impacts from this system, they’d likely come mid-week. The longer this system stays over land, the weaker it’ll be. It’ll have the chance to strengthen if it moves back over open water, especially if it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.
The speed of this system is just as important as the strength. The quicker it moves through, the less rain piles up. If it slows down or stalls, higher rainfall amounts would be expected. Our river levels have dropped a bit since July’s wet weather, but levels are still higher than what you’d find in a typical August.
This is a reminder that we are heading into the heart of the hurricane season and to make sure your emergency supplies are ready.
Stay with WITN and WITN.com as we continue to track this system over the coming days and monitor the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
Copyright 2024 WITN. All rights reserved.
North Carolina
Alabama man on work trip stops to buy $3 quick pick Powerball ticket, wins 6-figure jackpot
Christopher Baker of Leesburg, Alabama was on a work trip in Hickory, North Carolina, when he thought he’d try his luck on a lotto game. It turned out to be a lucrative Powerball win.
An Alabama man on a work trip in North Carolina bought a $3 Quick Pick Powerball ticket on a whim and walked away with a six-figure windfall.
Christopher Baker of Leesburg in northeastern Alabama bought his lucky ticket in July in Hickory, North Carolina, where had been traveling for work, according to Powerball.
When the numbers were drawn, Baker says he had to do a double-take when he realized he had a $100,000 winning ticket. He had matched four white balls and the red Powerball, which would have been $50,000, but a 2X multiplier doubled the win and the disbelief.
“I just kept looking at it to make sure I was reading it right,” he laughed, according to Powerball. “I told my family but they didn’t believe me. either.”
Baker, who called his win “a shocker.” said he plans to save his winnings to buy a house.
Baker will take home $71,501 after federal and state taxes are withheld.
How to play the Powerball
In order to purchase a $2 Powerball ticket, you’ll have to visit your local convenience store, gas station or grocery store − and in a handful of states, you can purchase tickets online.
To play, you will need to pick six numbers in total to mark on your ticket. Five numbers will be white balls ranging from numbers 1 to 69. The Powerball is red and one number which is between 1 and 26.
If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can add a “Power Play” for $1 which increases the winnings for all non-jackpot prizes. This addition can multiply winnings by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X.
Players can also ask a cashier for a “Quick Pick” where a cashier will give you a computer generated numbers on a printed Powerball ticket.
Drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. If there’s no jackpot winner, the cash prize will increase by millions.
Where to purchase tickets
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050(MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms.
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