October 5, 2007 According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, a new state record gray tilefish was taken from Tom’s Canyon on September 9. Joseph Sanzone of Pompton Lakes caught an 18 pound, 7 ounce gray tilefish that weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces more than the previous record taken off the Sea Girt Artificial Reef in 2001.

Mr. Sanzone was bottom fishing when he hooked the fish on a St. Croix rod and Penn reel with 65-pound test. Bait was a combination of butterfish and squid. The fish measured 35 inches in length with a 24-inch girth.

The gray tilefish is typically found in depths of 200-1,400 feet. Usually found south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, they live in burrows and sometimes congregate in small groups.

The New Jersey State Record Fish Program was revised in May of 2007. It revolves around a specific list of eligible species, and is based on weight alone (there are no line classes). The program goal is to increase awareness of fishing opportunities for species that are regularly sought after and routinely found in the freshwaters or off the coast of New Jersey. For details on program changes, see the Record Fish Program page at www.njfishandwildlife.com/recfish.htm.