June 12, 2009 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Lee Windham from
Brandon, MS was fishing with his friend Jeremy Shook on his 26'
twin-v about 20 miles southeast of Orange Beach when he hooked what he
thought might be a large shark. Windham fought the fish for about 15 minutes on a jigging rod,
Shimano Torium reel with 65 lb test braded power pro line before getting
the fish on the boat. When the fish surfaced he and his buddies
were stunned - they thought it might be a grouper but after a closer
look, they figured out it was in the snapper family.
Lee Windham & Jeremy Shook with the 95.2 lb Cubera Snapper caught 20
miles southeast of Orange Beach
When they got back to the dock, they looked it up in a book which
identifies fish species. That's when they knew they had a Cubera Snapper
- a fish none of them had ever heard of.
Windham and his buddies started the trip fishing for Amberjack. They
switched to bottom fishing to try for some grouper. That's when
the Cubera Snapper hit the line. It was caught at about 4:30pm in 120
feet of water over an artificial reef.
After returning to port, they later loaded the Snapper in their truck
and took it to Zeke's Marina to be weighed. It tipped the scales at 95.2
lbs. The Alabama State Record for Cubera Snapper is 52 lbs.
The Florida State Record is 116 lbs.
Pictured above Left to Right: Cody Shows, Lee Windham & Jeremy Shook
with a Lemon Shark, Cubera Snapper and Amberjack.
Huge 95.2 lb Cubera Snapper Weighs in at Zeke's
