A new Massachusetts state record for false albacore has been certified following an incredible catch during the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby. Angler Sherry Countryman landed the massive 19-pound, 14-ounces albie on September 17, 2026, eclipsing a benchmark that had stood untouched for nearly 36 years. The previous state record of 19 pounds and 5 ounces was set on September 27, 1990, was landed off Edgartown by local angler Donald MacGillvray during the 45th Derby.
It’s also worth noting that three other massive albies were entered into The Derby that day; Thomas O’Shaughnessy logged a 15.57-pounder, Marc Fairstein bested a 15.69-pounder and Joseph Thompson decked a 16.09-pounder, what an incredible day for albie fishing!
Countryman landed the fish aboard her boat, Surprise Catch, alongside her fiancé Steve and friend Mel. The trio targeted active blitzes off Nantucket. “They were on top,” Countryman recounted to The Martha’s Vineyard Times (MV Times). “[Then] he took off for Ireland. I tightened my drag. I wanted him to know I was there. It was a battle of wills. He was holding. I was holding,” Countryman continued. “I kept saying, ‘This is a huge fish. This is a huge fish!’”
Once landed, the monster albie pulled a hand scale down past 20 pounds, Countryman then brought the fish to Dick’s Bait and Tackle, where owner Steve Morris weighed it on a certified state scale. The record was finalized at Derby Headquarters, where Derby officials recorded the 19.91-pound record and completed the Grand Leader certification to a cheering crowd.
