Rochester angler lands state record black rockfish

A 10.72-pound fish has qualified as a new state record for the largest black rockfish caught in Washington waters, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Steven Charles Orr of Rochester caught the 26.15-inch fish May 15 in Marine Area 1 near Ilwaco. Orr was bait fishing with herring.

“I thought I had a ling cod,” Orr said in a department news release. “It was like fighting a big king salmon, and when I got it up to the boat, it absolutely dwarfed a 6- to 7-pound sea bass we had on board. It was definitely a fighter.”

Orr’s record rockfish exceeded the previous record by almost half a pound. That record was held by Joseph Eberling for a 10.25-pound fish he caught in the Tacoma Narrows in 1980.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Rochester angler lands state record black rockfish."