Pinfish Sets New Georgia State Record

Spencer N. Schutte, of Richmond Hill, with his record-setting pinfish. The Kilkenny Creek fish weighed 2-lbs., 3.2-ozs.

A Richmond Hill angler has set a new state saltwater game fish record for pinfish, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today.

Spencer N. Schutte, 28, caught a pinfish (Lagodon rhombiodes) weighing 2-lbs., 3.2-ozs. and measuring 14 1/2 inches total length. The angler was fishing in Kilkenny Creek in Bryan County on March 12 when he caught the pinfish. The catch was certified by a committee of DNR biologists and staff, and it beat the previous Georgia state record of 1-lb., 14.5-ozs. set in 2017.

The world record for pinfish is 3-lbs., 5-ozs. and was caught in 1992 off the Mississippi coast, according to the International Game Fish Association.

“It’s definitely a good feeling to break that record that’s stood for almost six years,” said Schutte. “But the biggest thing is the Georgia waters. I know the last (men’s record pinfish) was caught 40 miles offshore, so that goes to show there’s plenty of opportunities to get out there, enjoy it, and do everything the Georgia waters have to offer.”