Mississippi record broken after over 300-pound swordfish caught at Billfish Classic

A team at the 2021 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic last week broke the state record for a swordfish after hauling in a fish over 300 pounds.

The fish weighs 309 pounds, 14.4 ounces which breaks the previous record of 242 pounds, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources confirmed.

New Orleans fisherman Donnie Jackson Jr. and his team Tails up Sea Cruiser received a payout of $20,198.99 at the fishing tournament. There were 101 teams competing in the category with second place receiving more than $15,000 and third place getting more than $10,000.

The Billfish Classic total payout this year was $1,818,520.20, according to the tournament’s website.

This story was originally published June 22, 2021 at 12:54 PM.