Costa Rica Angler’s 72-Pound Snook Confirmed as World Record

Costa Rica’s Pacific coast has produced another world record, completing a fishing story more than two decades in the making. On May 9, angler Will Hefley landed a massive 32.91-kilogram (72-pound, 9-ounce) Pacific black snook while fishing out of Marina Pez Vela in Quepos. The catch has now been officially recognized as the new International Game Fish Association All-Tackle World Record for the species. Hefley was fishing with Captain Ruddy Zapata near the mouth of the Parrita River, trolling live sardines on circle hooks in about 4.6 meters (15 feet) of water. The stretch of coastline is well known among local guides as prime territory for large snook. The fish struck hard and gave Hefley an intense fight before finally coming alongside the boat. He initially considered releasing it but was persuaded to bring it back to Quepos and have it weighed because of its exceptional size. The snook was placed on a certified scale at Marina Pez Vela, an official IGFA weigh station. It measured 1.22 meters (48 inches) long and had a girth of 81 centimeters (32 inches). What makes the catch especially meaningful is the identity of the previous record holder. The earlier mark, a 26.99-kilogram (59-pound, 8-ounce) Pacific black snook, belonged to Ward Michaels, who landed the fish in 2014, also out of Quepos. The connection between the two anglers runs much deeper than a shared fishing ground. Michaels introduced Hefley to snook fishing more than two decades ago, helping ignite his passion for the species and for the waters that would eventually become a major part of his life. Hefley later moved to Costa Rica and spent years pursuing the kind of trophy snook that put Michaels’ name in the record book. That pursuit finally paid off in dramatic fashion near the Parrita River in May. The waters around Quepos have a long history of producing IGFA snook records across different line classes and categories. Hefley’s fish now stands as the largest snook among the eight species recognized in the IGFA record book, exceeding the next-heaviest all-tackle record by more than 10 pounds. The catch also established the Men’s 24-kilogram (50-pound) Line Class World Record for Pacific black snook. Quepos is best known internationally for its roosterfish and offshore billfish, but Hefley’s catch is another reminder that some of Costa Rica’s most remarkable sportfishing takes place much closer to shore, around river mouths where giant snook still hunt. It is also a story about friendship as much as fishing: one angler passing his passion to another more than two decades ago, and that shared pursuit eventually producing a new world record.