SEAFORD — Not only are the fish biting in a big way lately in the Nanticoke River.

They’re being caught in a record fashion, as well.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said this week that, for the second time in less than a month, a state record blue catfish was hooked in the river, during the midmorning hours of Sept. 22.

This time, the fisherman was Sydney McBroom of Bridgeville, who landed the 53-pounder that measured 46 1/2 inches in length. It’s believed to be the largest freshwater fish caught since the state began keeping recreational fishing records.
Mr. McBroom seized the big cat fishing from his boat, using a whole bluegill as bait and pulling it in after a 20-minute wrestling match.

His catch eclipsed a record that lasted just 20 days — a 47-pound, 8-ounce specimen taken by another Bridgeville angler, Chris Andrews — which, like the three most recent blue catfish state records, was caught from the fertile catfish waters of the Nanticoke.

“You use a big fish to catch a big fish,” Mr. McBroom said of the catfish, which stands as the fifth state record of the 2023 Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament. “I don’t fish for attention. I fish for fun. I fish for me. You have to go onto the water and put your time in. We’d see a mess of nice catfish (every time we went out). That was just our day.”

Mr. McBroom’s record was certified by Cpl. Kyle Wharton of the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources police at Lewes Harbour Marina.

Mr. Andrews’ Sept. 2 catch had surpassed the previous record (set in April 2022) by 4 ounces.

A list of all Delaware fishing records is available on the DNREC website.

More information about the Delaware Sport Fishing Tournament can be found in the 2023 Delaware Fishing Guide and at de.gov/sportfish.