Washington record mahi mahi caught off Grays Harbor

The new state record mahi mahi was caught off of Westport.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that the 21 pound, 48-inch-long fish, also known as a dolphinfish or dorado, was caught 42 miles off the Washington coast by angler Wade La Fontaine.

According to the department, La Fontaine is from Camano Island, but he has been taking fishing trips off Westport for more than 10 years.

He goes fishing for albacore tuna out of the marina up to six times a year, but he did not expect the catch he landed on August 25.

“I’m blessed beyond comprehension,” he said. “I’ll be getting another tattoo of a mahi!”

WDFW says that the 21-pounder was caught with Captain Keith Johnson aboard the charter boat Tunacious with Far Corners Adventures Sport Fishing in Westport while trolling off the coast.

Upon landing at the dock in Westport, the dolphinfish was checked by a WDFW Fish Program biologist, then weighed on a certified scale at Ocean Gold Seafoods. 

La Fontaine’s Washington Record Sport Fish was certified on Aug. 30.

Washington’s previous state record dolphinfish was 16.27 pounds caught by Albert DaSilva out of Ilwaco in 2013.

Information on how to submit a possible state record fish is available at: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/basics/records