An Alabama teenager went fishing alone to vent his frustrations after his final exam and returned to shore with a pending state record for a species new to the area.
“This is not the biggest fish I’ve ever caught,” Gardner Love, 17, of Elberta, told Fox News Digital.
“We catch a lot of bigger fish offshore, but we’ve never caught a state record before. So this is definitely one for the record books.”
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Love caught a 27-inch, 7-pound snook on Tuesday, May 14, while fishing in brackish water along Soldier Creek, which connects to Perdido Bay.
Gardner Love, 17, wants to add the title “state record holder” to his name after reeling in a 7-pound corner off the coast of Alabama. (Len Love)
The catch is awaiting formal certification by the Alabama Department of Conservation, a process that could take up to 15 days.
“I wasn’t really fishing for snook,” Love said. “I caught trout, redfish, anything that would bite. The weather was nice. It had been raining for a few days, but it was finally starting to clear up, so I thought I’d go out on the boat for a little while.” Because there was nothing else to do. ”
Love, who has been fishing since before he could walk, grew up on the Gulf Coast.
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In addition to being a recreational fisherman, he also works as a deckhand on a sport fishing boat.
Love said he didn’t realize he had reeled in the snook until it jumped out of the water mid-fight. (Len Love)
“I went back to the back of the creek, where I don’t normally fish,” Love said.
“It was like a big prairie, with a big wetland, and little trees hanging off the edge of the wetland.”
Love said he was casting the lure into the grass when it got stuck in a tree.
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“I pulled it out and it fell into the water,” Love said. “As soon as it hit the water, the fish jumped through the water and into the air, and at first I thought it was a tarpon. I had no idea it was a snook until halfway through the fight.” I saw it as it jumped out of the water. ”
Love had to jump into the water and grab the fish before pulling it into the boat. (Len Love)
The water was cloudy due to the rain, making it difficult to see the fish.
“I got really close and was probably waist deep in water,” Love said.
“I didn’t have a net in the boat because I didn’t expect to catch anything that big. Usually I just slide the net in.” [into] Boat on the line. But when I pulled him up to the side of the boat, I could see he was barely hanging on. ”
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Love said he put down his rod, jumped into the water, grabbed the fish and pulled it into the boat.
Love and her father headed to Zeke’s Marina in Orange Beach to weigh in on a certified scale. (Len Love)
“When we started dating, I knew something was going right,” he said.
“As soon as I got the fish on the boat, I called my dad. By the time I got back to the dock, it was only a two-minute drive. He was already there waiting for me and said, ‘You. got the state record. he was really excited. ”
The young angler and his father, Len Love, took the fish to Zeke’s Marina to be weighed on a certified scale.
The snook weighed 7.04 pounds.
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The current official snook record is a 5-pound, 2.6-ounce fish caught by Richard Carver Webb of Orange Beach, Alabama, in 2023, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation.
Scott Bannon, Director of Marine Resources, Alabama Department of Conservation. (Alabama Department of Conservation)
What makes this catch even more interesting is that Love’s fish is only the second record-setting snook in Alabama, said Scott Bannon, director of marine resources for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, on FOX. He told News Digital.
That’s because it is not a species native to Alabama.
“Over the past few years, we have seen several individuals appear in certain areas of Baldwin County adjacent to the Alabama-Florida line,” Bannon said.
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“But snook are native to Florida,” Bannon added. “We knew they were in the Pensacola area, but in the last few years they started showing up in Alabama, mostly juveniles.”
The species is not native to Alabama, and last year the state’s first ever snook record was certified. (Len Love)
Last January, the department recognized the first snook (Webb’s fish) as a state record, Bannon said.
“This was the first common snook landed that met the minimum standards to establish a state record,” he added.
“We have some rules that we have to follow and one of them is [that] Fish should be considered adult and in the upper half of their size or weight class. ”
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Bannon explained that in Alabama, the changing water levels and slightly warmer water temperatures make snook more accustomed to fishing.
“This means a lot to me and to everyone here on the Gulf Coast. I would love to catch another record fish if possible.”
Now, more species that were previously unregulated in the state may soon be officially recognized.
“We don’t have a season. [snook]with minimum size or possession restrictions,” Bannon said.
“So we are currently in discussions about introducing something.”
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Bannon said the positive side of the environmental changes that have led to the introduction of snook, for example, is that they’re creating more opportunities for the state’s fishermen.
Love is waiting to hear from officials with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in hopes that her catch will be recognized. (Len Love)
“We want diversity in fishing opportunities,” Bannon said.
“It adds a little bit of excitement to the fishing, so at the end of the day, it’s a good thing. I love seeing the quality of fish that people can catch in Alabama, because it shows that we… Because it means we have to do the right thing.” Ensuring healthy fish stocks and providing the public with access to them. ”
Bannon added that there are “several” children’s record holders, and he believes this is because fishing is a family-friendly sport in Alabama.
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Gardner Love (right) said he wanted to break more fishing records after reeling in a snook. Pictured at left is Gardner’s father, Len Love, standing next to his son as he makes a potentially record-breaking catch. (Len Love)
“Fishing has always been my favorite thing to do,” Love said.
“This means a lot to me and to everyone here on the Gulf Coast. I would love to catch another record fish if possible.”
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