Massive dolphin, mahi-mahi, caught on the coast of Georgia

Massive dolphin, mahi-mahi, caught on the coast of Georgia

Seventeen-year-old Cade Quick from Glennville, Georgia, has officially tied the state saltwater fishing record for dolphin fish (mahi mahi) with a massive 68-pound, 9.28-ounce catch. This impressive feat occurred on May 5, 2025, during an offshore trip aboard the 38-foot Freeman catamaran, Chicken Ship, which departed Shellman’s Bluff at 4 a.m. After a 100-mile journey to the Gulf Stream, Quick hooked the fish around 7 a.m. using a blue-and-white chugger lure paired with ballyhoo, on 30-pound test line and an Avet reel .

The dolphin fish measured 56 inches in length with a 36.5-inch girth. Although initially weighed at 70 pounds at the dock, the official weight recorded on certified scales the following day was 68 pounds, 9.28 ounces . This matches the existing Georgia state record set in April 2022 by James Roberts of Midway, whose catch weighed 68 pounds, 1.6 ounces. According to Georgia Department of Natural Resources regulations, a new record between 20 and 100 pounds must exceed the existing record by at least 8 ounces to be recognized as a new record .

Quick’s achievement will be acknowledged by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division with a signed certificate. Additionally, he will be featured in the upcoming Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations Guide and on the agency’s website .

The Chicken Ship crew, which includes Mikell Fries (boat owner), Jackson Fries, Jonathan Fries, Ryan Bradford, and John Michael Thompson, plans to continue their offshore fishing endeavors. Quick, who also works at Thompson Boatworks in Glennville, is considering having a taxidermist create a replica mount of his notable catch .