DELAWARE - A new state record has been set for the invasive Northern Snakehead.
Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control says the catch was made by angler Dyllan Rust, of Harrington, back on June 1. Rust reportedly caught the fish at Marshyhope Ditch outside of Harrington, while fishing from shore.
DNREC says the fish was a 15-pound, 8-ounce Northern Snakehead, measuring 31.5 inches. It surpasses the previous record for the species, established less than a month earlier, by 11 ounces.
Officials say Rust's catch was weighed in at the Williamsville Country Store in Houston and also certified by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.
DNREC reminds Delaware anglers that they are encouraged in the name of fish and wildlife conservation to kill invasive fish species rather than releasing them.