From far offshore in the Atlantic Ocean to coastal inlets and bays, from black water rivers to the state's extensive system of lakes - wherever you care to wet a line in South Carolina, fishing is a big deal - whether it's part of the state's extensive commercial industry or vacationing families looking to catch a vacation memory.
Yes, it's a big deal - but that always leads to the question: Just how big was that catch? And where does that rank among the millions of fish reeled in by SC anglers?
Wonder no longer. Thanks to records maintained by the SC Department of Natural Resources and websites www.landbigfish.com and www.southeasternoutdoors.com, it's not hard to know the size of the biggest fish caught in South Carolina in - count 'em -- 100 categories.
Record catches range from hand-sized spot, perch and sunfish (a bit more than a pound each) to massive denizens of the deep such as the 1,780-pound Tiger Shark caught in 1964 off Cherry Grove (Myrtle Beach) by one W. Maxwell - the largest SC catch on record. The state's oldest record is a 65-pound Great Barracuda caught off Georgetown by Henry Selor in 1948 - no one's landed a bigger one in nearly 70 years.
So, by all means, test your skill (or try your luck) fishing in South Carolina waters, fresh and salt, offshore and inland. And if you bring home a trophy catch, check here to see if your name belongs on the state's fishing Wall of Fame.
SPECIES - Weight, location, angler, date
African Pompano - 44 pounds, 3 ounces; Hilton Head Island; C.T. Babcock III, 2011
Albacore Tuna - 37 pounds, 4 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; W. Crump; 1976
Amberjack - 123 pounds; Isle of Palms; J. Beauford; 2010
American Shad - 7 pounds; Santee River; Sylvester Casselman; 1985
Atlantic Bonito - 7 pounds, 11 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Little River; Charles Adams; 1993
Atlantic Spadefish - 14 pounds; Beaufort; S. Nickleson; 2005
Bigeye Thresher Shark - 405 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Edisto Island; J.H. Mixson; 1978
Black Crappie - 5 pounds; Lake Moultrie; P.E. Foust; 1957
Black Drum - 89 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Port Royal; W.P. Buquet; 1978
Black Sea Bass - 8 pounds, 3 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Fripp Inlet; Larry L. Hudson, 1995
Blackfin Tuna - 40 pounds, 6.4 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; Mark Hartley, 2005
Blacktip Shark - 163 pounds, 14 ounces; Hilton Head Island; D. Rowe; 2009
Blue Catfish - 109 pounds, 4 ounces; Tailrace Canal; George A. Lijewski; 1991
Blue Marlin - 881 pounds, 13 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; W.C. Taylor; 2005
Bluefin Tuna - 396 pounds, 14 ounces; Hilton Head Island; J.S. Middleton III; 2006
Bluefish - 21 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; J.A. Curtis; 1975
Bluegill Sunfish - 3 pounds, 4 ounces; N/A; J.P. Hegler; 1973
Blueline Tilefish - 14 pounds, 6 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; O.Cockerman; 1982
Bowfin - 21 pounds, 8 ounces; Forest Lake; Robert Harmon; 1980
Brook Trout - 4 pounds, 10 ounces; Chattooga River; Wes Coker; 2010
Brown Trout - 17 pounds, 9.5 ounces; Lake Jocassee; Larry Edwards; 1987
Bull Shark - 477 pounds, 12 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Stono Inlet; C.R. Faust; 1985
Bullhead - 6 pounds, 6.3 ounces; Broad River; George Eleazer; 2009
Chain Pickerel - 6 pounds, 4 ounces; Lake Marion; Randall Spell; 1981
Channel Catfish - 58 pounds; Lake Moultrie; W.H. Whaley; 1964
Cobia - 92 pounds, 10 ounces; Hilton Head Island; R. Maroudas; 2009
Croaker - 4 pounds; 9 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; C.I. Frasier; 1979
Dolphin - 77 pounds, 8 ounces; Seabrook Island; R. Riggs; 2008
Dusky Shark - 466 pounds, 12 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; M. Almond; 1981
Flathead Catfish - 79 pounds, 4 ounces (51 inches long); Santee Cooper; Jessica Preston; 2001
Flier Sunfish - 1 pound, 4 ounces; Hemingway; Steve Bryant; 1977
Florida Pompano - 8 pounds, 12 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; C. Mullinax Sr.; 1975
Gag Grouper - 48 pounds, 8 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; R.L. Price; 1997
Gray Triggerfish - 13 pounds, 9 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; Jim Hilton; 1989
Great Barracuda - 65 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Georgetown; Henry Shelor; 1948
Hammerhead Shark - 588 pounds, 3 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; Byron Bass; 1989
Hogfish - 21 pounds, 15 ounces; Charleston; W. Covington; 2011
Houndfish - 9 pounds, 4 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; W. Kirby; 1974
Hybrid Bass - 20 pounds, 6 ounces; Savannah River; Danny Wood; 1978
Jack Crevalle - 40 pounds, 1 ounce; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; J. Benich; 1993
Jolthead Porgy - 18 pounds, 4 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; J. Currie; 1984
King Mackerel - 2 pounds, 10 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Pawleys Island; C. Micheau; 1968
King Mackerel - 63 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston J. Brownlee III; 1976
Ladyfish - 5 pounds, 14 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; B. Raver; 1994
Largemouth Bass - 16 pounds, 2 ounces; Lake Marion/private pond; P.H. Flanagan/Mason Cummings; 1949/1993
Lemon Shark - 380 pounds; Hilton Head Island; S. Liesen; 2010
Little Tunny - 29 pounds, 7 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; C. Edwards Jr.; 1975
Longbill Spearfish - 53 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Mount Pleasant; H.L. Johnson Jr.; 1986
Mako Shark - 391 pounds, 15 ounces; Charleston; P. Ford; 2002
Margate Grunt - 18 pounds, 8 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; J.L. Flowers; 1971
Muskellunge - 22 pounds, 8 ounces (42 inches long); Broad River; Zavier Jefferies; 2004
Pumpkinseed Sunfish - 2 pounds, 4 ounces; North Saluda River; Scott Hart; 1997
Queen Triggerfish - 9 pounds, 7 ounces; Georgetown; J.H. Woodberry; 2011
Rainbow Runner - 14 pounds, 14 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Georgetown; W.D. Harder; 1985
Rainbow Trout - 11 pounds, 5 ounces; Lake Jocassee; Scott Coggins; 1993
Red Drum - 75 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; A.J. Taylor; 1965
Red Grouper - 31 pounds; Little River; M.K. Jenkins; 2008
Red Porgy - 10 pounds, 8 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; J.F. Duffer; 1985
Red Snapper - 37 pounds, 8 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Little River; K. Henry; 1964
Redbreast Sunfish - 2 pounds; Lumber River; D.R. Turner; 1975
Redear Sunfish - 5 pounds, 7 ounces; Diversion Canal; Amos Gay; 1998
Redeye Bass - 5 pounds, 2.5 ounces; Lake Jocassee; Randy Dickson; 2001
Redfin Pickerel - 1 pound, 8.8 ounces; Bluff Lake; Albert Johnson; 1983
Sailfish - 75 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Georgetown; G.A. Reid; 1968
Sand Tiger Shark - 350 pounds, 2 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; Mark Thawley; 1993
Sandbar (brown) Shark - 199 pounds, 4 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; T. McGuiness; 1984
Sauger - 4 pounds, 7 ounces; Lake Thurmond; Broadus Moody; 1985
Scamp Grouper - 26 pounds, 15 ounces; Port Royal; R. Holmquist; 2011
Sheepshead - 16 pounds, 6 ounces; Mount Pleasant; J. Widener; 2008
Silky Shark - 248 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; R. Keenan; 1981
Skipjack Tuna - 25 pounds, 14 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; D.L. Stubbs; 1986
Smallmouth Bass - 9 pounds, 7 ounces; Lake Jocassee; Terry Dodson; 2001
Snowy Grouper - 30 pounds, 3 ounces; Charleston; C. Donald; 2011
Southern Flounder - 17 pounds, 6 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/South Santee; L.C. Floyd; 1974
Spanish Mackerel - 11 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Myrtle Beach; W. Deas Jr.; 1983
Speckled Hind Grouper - 45 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Little River; H.R. Murray; 1973
Spinner Shark - 159 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; Jerry Short; 1998
Spot - 1 pound, 1 ounce; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; J. Stehmeyer; 1967
Spotted Bass - 8 pounds, 2 ounces; Lake Jocassee; James Couch; 1996
Spotted Sea Trout - 11 pounds, 13 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; A. Pendergrass; 1976
Striped Bass - 63 pounds; Lake Russell; Terry McConnell; 2009
Summer Flounder - 3 pounds, 8 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; J. Wallace; 1982
Swordfish - 500 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Georgetown; B.H. Peace III; 1978
Tarpon - 154 pounds, 10 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Hilton Head Island; S.B. Kiser; 1987
Tiger Shark - 1,780 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Cherry Grove; W. Maxwell; 1964
Tripletail - 33 pounds; 8 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Hilton Head Island; Jackie Johnson; 2005
Vermillion Snapper - 6 pounds, 10 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; D.H. Long; 1975
Wahoo - 130 pounds, 5 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; J. Moore; 1998
Walleye - 10 pounds; Richard B. Russell Lake; Robert Huskins; 1994
Warmouth - 2 pounds, 2.5 ounces; N/A; W. Singletary; 1973
Warsaw Grouper - 310 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Murrells Inlet; C.D. Pratt; 1976
Weakfish - 11 pounds, 13 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Parris Island; J.M. Coppinger Jr.; 1981
White Bass - 5 pounds, 4.8 ounces; Broad River; Johnny Gilliam; 1997
White Catfish - 9 pounds, 15 ounces; Lake Murray; Jim Schwietert; 1986
White Crappie - 5 pounds, 1 ounce; Lake Murray; Mrs. H.P. Owens; 1949
White Marlin - 108 pounds; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; D.C. Critz Jr.; 1981
White Perch - 1 pound, 15.2 ounces; Lake Wylie; Rodger W. Taylor; 2007
Yellow Perch - 3 pounds, 4 ounces; Lake Keowee; D. Scarborough; 1979
Yellowfin Tuna - 241 pounds, 12 ounces; Atlantic Ocean/Charleston; T.C. Lewis; 1979
