Yvonne Norman of Lake Asbury, Florida, may have landed a new world record while trolling off the coast of St. Augustine on June 16. While targeting king mackerel with her brother, Will Van Duyn, Norman hooked and landed an African pompano that tipped the scales at 40.08 pounds—likely breaking a standing record that’s held strong for four decades.
Norman and Van Duyn were fishing with live menhaden near Nine Mile Reef, using wire-leader rigs on 20-pound test line. The morning had already delivered plenty of action, including kingfish, a hefty dolphin, and several cobia. One of the cobia even weighed in at a solid 50 pounds. Adding to the excitement, massive sharks—including a 10-foot hammerhead—were circling the reef and their 20-foot boat.
“We lost a couple of kingfish to sharks,” said Norman, who owns a cleaning service. “There was even a giant bull shark hanging under our boat.”
Just before 11 a.m., one of their trolling rods bowed hard with a strike. Norman grabbed it, suspecting a shark based on the long, deep, and forceful runs the fish made. After about 20 minutes of tension-filled fighting, she brought the fish near the surface.
“I saw it was silver, but I wasn’t sure what it was,” she said.
Then, the lurking bull shark made its move. Norman quickly maneuvered the fish to the opposite side of the boat as her brother prepared the gaff. After three tries, he successfully hauled the fish aboard—moments before the shark could intervene.
What they’d landed was an African pompano, known for their blistering strength and silvery appearance. Once the initial chaos settled, they realized the fish might not just be big—it might be historic.
“The whole thing was a miracle that I caught the fish and a shark didn’t take it,” said Norman.
With their boat’s cooler too small to contain the fish, they covered it in towels and iced it down as best they could. The pair then rushed back to the St. Augustine boat ramp and tried to weigh the fish at a tackle shop. Unfortunately, that shop didn’t have a certified scale.
Undeterred, they returned home, weighed the pompano themselves at 40 pounds, and then made a final stop at Beamish Custom Tackle. There, on a certified scale, the fish was officially weighed at 40.08 pounds. The weighing was witnessed by multiple individuals, including two local police officers.
Norman used 20-pound class gear—rods, reels, and line that had been maintained for 16 years by her brother. She plans to submit the required samples and documentation to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) in pursuit of the women’s 20-pound line class world record for African pompano.
If accepted, Norman’s catch will eclipse the current IGFA record of 39 pounds, 5 ounces, set in 1985 by Karen Hogan near Fort Pierce, Florida.
“I pray for good fishing every time we go out,” Norman said. “That day, it felt like a guiding hand was with us. And I’m glad Will keeps his gear in such great shape.”
For now, her incredible fish story continues to make waves—and might soon be etched into fishing history.
Image/Source: OutdoorLife
