On his first ever fishing trip in Maryland last month, Dominic Vuotto, of Gilbertsville, landed a record 21.3-pound blueline tilefish, writes Michael Tanenbaum for the Philly Voice.
Vuotto made the impressive catch on July 26, fishing with friends aboard Foolish Pleasures, a charter boat, off the coast of Ocean City near Washington Canyon.
Vuotto and his wife own a vacation home in Ocean City, which led a friend, who regularly takes fishing trips, to invite him along.
“I said, ‘sure, I’ve never gone deep sea fishing before,’ but it reminds me of my grandfather and my wife’s father because they liked going out on the water,” said Vuotto.
The group of six went in search of tuna but had no luck. To avoid ending the trip empty handed, the boat’s captain, Dale Lisi, took them to a spot populated by blueline tilefish. Soon, Vuotto felt a bite and began struggling to reel in the tilefish.
“I snagged it and I started cranking it up and the guys were yelling at me, calling me all sorts of names because it was slow-going,” he said.
Once in, the group weighed the fish and confirmed a new state record.
“Now I’m hooked,” said Vuotto.
Read more about GIlbertsville’s Dominic Vuotto in the Philly Voice.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on MONTCO Today in August 2025.
