OC Angler Sets New State Record for False Albacore

Image Courtesy of Department of Natural Resources via Cooper Clark

OCEAN CITY, Md. – The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has officially recognized 19-year-old Cooper Clark of Ocean City as the new state record holder for false albacore in the Atlantic Division.

Clark’s 28.2-pound catch — caught at the “Jackspot,” a commonly fished area 20-30 nautical miles off Ocean City — surpasses the previous record of 26.0 pounds that was set in Jul. 2025. The anglers in Clark’s fishing group were reportedly not impressed with his false albacore catch, as they had originally been out looking for bluefin tuna. They placed it in the fish box to be used for bait, but the next day, they realized that it might be a state record fish.

After being caught on Jul. 3, the record fish was weighed on a certified scale and verified by DNR fisheries biologist Gary Tyler at Sunset Marina on Jul. 4.

DNR says the false albacore is a frequent summer visitor to the Ocean City area. More closely related to mackerel than tuna, the fish are sometimes called “little tunny.” They are a very hard-fighting fish and considered quite the challenge on light tackle.

To learn more about the record-setting catch, click here.