North Carolina angler's colorful puddingwife catch may set world record in saltwater fishing
Connor Stone of Southport, North Carolina, caught a colorful puddingwife about 35 miles off the state's coast in July. The fish weighed in at 3 pounds and 11 ounces. Stone said the fish outweighs the current world record by 3 ounces.
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SOUTHPORT, N.C. - A North Carolina man's catch of the day may actually break a world record.
30-year-old Connor Stone of Southport caught a colorful puddingwife about 35 miles off the state's coast in July.
The vibrant, colorful fish appeared mostly in different shades of blue highlighted with yellowish-green hues.
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Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish.
(Connor Stone)
"I've never seen a puddingwife wrasse before that day, and I honestly didn't know what to really think when I first saw it," Stone told FOX Television Stations. "It kind of looked like a parrot fish, but it had weird-looking human-like teeth."
"The colors were really vibrant and some of the prettiest I've seen," he continued.
Stone already broke the state's record, and now he could break a world record. The fish weighed in at 3 pounds and 11 ounces. The current certified world record Puddingwife Wrasse weighs 3-pounds, 8-ounces and was caught off Key West Florida in 2003, according to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
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![Connor Stone's colorful puddingwife fish.]()
Image 1 of 4Connor Stone's colorful puddingwife fish. (Connor Stone)
![Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish.]()
Image 2 of 4Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish. (Connor Stone)
![Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish.]()
Image 3 of 4Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish. (Connor Stone)
![Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish.]()
Image 4 of 4Connor Stone, 30, holding a colorful puddingwife fish. (Connor Stone)
He's now waiting for a response after submitting his application to the International Game Fish Association.
Stone said he's originally from Wisconsin but moved to North Carolina a few years ago. He said he "lived down [in North Carolina] here for 3 years now and would never have thought this to happen."
He said he doesn't have an extensive background in saltwater fishing, but picked up on the activity after moving to the South.
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"Although since moving down here I figured I would get into fishing more, and that's what I've been doing for a while now," he added.
Stone said he works for an electrical company, and his boss owns a boat. They take the boat out on the water every day.
"I'm lucky my boss loves to fish and takes us out when he gets the chance to," Stone said.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.