Maryland bowfisherman Todd Murphy took a Maryland state record, 17.47-pound northern snakehead while fishing with bow and arrow on Mattwoman Creek in the early hours of August 8, beating the previous record of 16.94 pounds set by Teddy McKenzie in 2014.
Although world and state fishing records are normally awarded only for fish caught by rod and reel, there are exceptions in Maryland for its three main invasive fish species: northern snakehead, blue catfish and flathead catfish. These species may be caught by any legal recreational harvest method and subsequently considered for state record recognition.
DNR maintains records for sport fish in three divisions; Atlantic, Chesapeake, and freshwater. Maryland State record holders receive a plaque from the agency.
A list of Maryland State records can be found on the DNR Fisheries website.
source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources