FWC: Youth angler racks up the saltwater records

Youth angler Krieger Brasseale had a memorable visit to the Sunshine State earlier this year. Brasseale spent his spring break chasing saltwater fishing records and fully delivered with five approved youth Florida Saltwater Fishing Records!

According to the longtime Catch a Florida Memory participant, he set the wheels in motion for these achievements as soon as he learned about the opportunity.

"My dream has always been to hold a saltwater fishing record!" said Brasseale.

Brasseale currently holds the All Tackle Record for white grunt, which he achieved in 2021, and has now added Youth All Tackle weight records for a 3.275-pound sheepshead; 2.44-pound. Spanish mackerel; and 2.25-pound spotted seatrout; and Youth Length records for a 19-inch red drum and 25.5-inch snook.

With the passion of a seasoned angler, this young Indiana native's outlook for the program and his achievements are a testament to his love of fishing in Florida and a bright future for the next generation of anglers.

"The new length and weight record program and Catch a  Florida Memory program has served to further my interest, knowledge and conservation in the phenomenal fishery Florida has in their beautiful waters," said Brasseale. "I look forward to seeing my state records be broken by kids passionate about saltwater fishing and encourage everyone to get out and get fishing!"

For his efforts in achieving all of these new records, Kreiger will receive a certificate and a letter of recognition for each species from Jessica McCawley, Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Marine Fisheries Management, along with a custom metal sculpture of the record species supplied by The Metal Edge.

While Kreiger put a good dent in the number of record categories, there are still plenty left to pursue. Visit CatchaFloridaMemory.com/Records to see open categories and applicable rules. To qualify for a record, a completed application form must be submitted with the angler's signature and a notary stamp. Applications must be accompanied by digital or print photographs clearly showing the gear used to make the catch, the angler with their catch, various views of the fish for identification purposes and required weight or length verification photos. Videos will be accepted for Youth and Adult Length record categories. Youth applications must be submitted within three months of the catch date.

The FWC encourages practicing best fish handling practices, especially for the Length category submissions, using wet hands and keeping fingers out of the eyes and gills. We also encourage Length category submissions to be kept in the water during measuring or to wet the length measuring device. Visit MyFWC.com/FishHandling or BonefishTarponTrust.org/Bonefish-Handling for more best handling guidelines for bonefish. You can also watch FWC's saltwater records promotional video for information on the new record categories and best fishing practices.