A Lucedale man has turned a day of socially distanced fishing into a place in the Mississippi record books.
Harley Havard caught a red hind weighing 4 pounds, 7.36 ounces while spearfishing, and the Mississippi Commission on Marine Resources has certified the catch as a state record for the species.
Red hind are a grouper-like reef fish found in the Gulf of Mexico, and records for them are typically set by divers who take the fish underwater rather than on hook and line.
Havard’s record-setting outing came as health officials were encouraging outdoor recreation as a way to stay active safely during the early weeks of the covid-19 pandemic, when fishing from a boat or in open water allows plenty of distance from others.
The certification adds George County to the list of South Mississippi communities producing record-class catches from Gulf waters.