Record Golden Tilefish Caught off Delaware

Logan Smith caught his record golden tilefish while fishing aboard Capt. Austin Decker’s Blue Betty II. Courtesy Logan Smith

Delaware officials recently announced that a 56-pound, 3.2-ounce golden tilefish caught on May 28 is a new state record. The fish, caught by angler Logan Smith of Dover, Delaware, measured 42.5 inches and was caught deep-dropping a whole squid in 650 feet.

Smith and some friends ran out of Indian River inlet to Poormans Canyon, a break in the Continental Shelf about 60 miles offshore. They were fishing aboard Capt. Austin Decker’s Blue Betty II.

“When it bit, I had no idea what it was, because it was pulling drag like crazy,” Smith said. “When me and my buddies finally saw some color from the fish and brought it into the boat, we thought it could be a state record.”

Smith took his big tilefish to Hook’em & Cook’em Outfitters in South Bethany, Delaware to have it certified by Delaware Natural Resources Police. The catch outweighs the previous state record, which was caught by then 13-year-old Dylan Baker in 2020, by almost 3.5 pounds.

Smith’s 56-pound, 3.2-ounce golden tile ate a whole squid in 650 feet. Courtesy Logan Smith Golden Tilefish Records of the Northeast

The canyons at the edge of the continental shelf off the Northeast US are hotspots for large tilefish and other deep-drop species as well as seasonally for large pelagic species like tuna. The New Jersey state record golden tilefish of 63 pounds, 8 ounces was caught from Lindenkohl Canyon in 2009 by Dennis Muhlenforth. The Maryland record was a 62-pounder caught by Steve Doctor in 2009.

The IGFA all-tackle world record? It’s a whopping 68 pounds, 4 ounces. Robert Foley caught the world record off Montauk, New York in July 2021.

What’s a Golden Tilefish?

If you’re not familiar with golden tilefish, they are slow-growing bottom feeders that could have lifespans of up to 50 years, according to NOAA research. They are a burrowing deep-water species that utilizes sand or mud bottoms to dig vertical holes from which they ambush crustaceans. Along the edges of canyon walls, they inhabit rocks and boulders in what is known as pueblo habitats for their resemblance to the Pueblo communities of the US Southwest.

As table fare, golden tilefish are prized for their sweet flavor and firm texture, said to be similar to crab or lobster. Check out this video of Reed Brand, The Fishmonger, breaking down and discussing the culinary potential of golden tilefish.

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