A Look Back At World Record Redfish

On November 7, 1984, David Deuel caught the IGFA all-tackle world-record red drum from the surf at Avon on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. The fish weighed 94 pounds, 2 ounces (42.69 kilograms) and measured 57 inches long with a 38-inch girth. Both the International Game Fish Association and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries confirm those details, including the date, place, and bait (cut mullet). The record remains unbroken after more than four decades.

 The official Texas Parks and Wildlife list shows a 59.50-pound, 54.25-inch red drum caught on January 30, 2000, in the Gulf of Mexico by Artie Longron. That fish still stands as Texas’s all-tackle saltwater record.

Louisiana’s official state record is a 61-pound red drum caught by David Weber in June 1992. The record appears in the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association’s official State Fish Records, which track all recognized sportfishing achievements for the state.

South Carolina’s state record dates back to 1965: a 75-pound red drum caught at Murrells Inlet by A. J. Taylor of Conway. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources still lists that mark on its saltwater records and in its red drum species summary, making it one of the oldest long-standing state records in the region.

Florida’s all-tackle state record red drum is listed at 52.31 pounds, caught on February 24, 1996, at Cocoa by George E. Hogan, Jr. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maintains that figure as the official benchmark for the species.

When the numbers are compared, the pattern is clear. The largest state red drum records fall between roughly 50 and 75 pounds—impressive fish by any measure. But Deuel’s North Carolina catch, at more than 94 pounds, remains far above even those benchmarks. It’s the recognized all-tackle world record for red drum and continues to define the upper limits of the species. Among anglers, it stands as a standard of measurement rather than legend, grounded in certified scales, official record books, and a quiet surf morning on the Outer Banks.