Nearly 100 fishing records and counting: Summerville couple seeks out unique species | Fishing

When Jason and Jennifer Schall return from a fishing trip, whether it be from an excursion near their Summerville home or a trip to some distant locale, those who know them well halfway expect to hear about their latest record catch.

Between the two major fish record-keeping organizations — the International Game Fish Association and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame — the Schalls have set nearly 100 records.

In its 2022 IGFA World Record Game Fishes Yearbook, a section recognizes “World Record Anglers of 2021” and both Schalls made the list. Jason led the Male Freshwater Tippet category with three records — tied for first with four records in Male Freshwater Conventional and second in the All Tackle Length with eight records. Jennifer tied for third in the Female Freshwater Conventional category with six records.

“We didn’t have any idea we were going to finish as well as we did. We were really excited. I was told it was an unusual crossover in the same year in both freshwater and saltwater awards and conventional and fly fishing. I was also told we were the only husband-wife team in the world to make the top rankings,” Jason said.

The Schalls also have a good start for 2022. Jason has six IGFA records this year and there may be more to come by Jason and Jennifer following a recent trip to Oklahoma and Texas.

“We have 11 potential IGFA world records that we’re going to submit from this month-long road trip we’ve been on. One of the potential IGFA records is Jennifer’s 99-pound, 6-ounce alligator gar caught on 4-pound test line. The current IGFA world record is only 22 pounds, 11 ounces. We never thought in a million years she would get one this size on this line,” Jason said.

“We had put out a couple or rods, and a much smaller bait on a much smaller line, and hoped nothing really big grabs it or we’ll be in trouble. It was Jennifer’s turn and the biggest fish of the day grabs the smallest line on the smallest piece of bait. We chased that thing forever. My heart was racing, beating out of my chest. The longer that fight goes on, the more likely the line is to break or the fish get off.”

They weighed the fish, using a sling and certified scales, before releasing it.

Jason’s largest fish of the trip was a 129-pound, 13-ounce alligator gar caught on 12-pound test line which would beat the IGFA record. He also caught a 25-pound, 8-ounce alligator gar fly-fishing with 6-pound test tippet and a 16-pound, 8-ounce smallmouth buffalo on 2-pound test tippet.

The Schalls first met as 12-year-old elementary school classmates in Summerville. Jason, 48, and Jennifer, 47, eventually reconnected, enjoying a fishing trip as a first date. They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary last October. Together, they have caught more than 700 unique species. And Jennifer has three species on her list that Jason is still chasing.

The Schalls said they love traveling and chasing unique species.

“It’s a win-win because that usually takes you to some pretty places, some beautiful waterways, and you get to meet some interesting people along the way. Just figuring out how to fish for different species is a lot of fun,” Jason said.

Jennifer said that while the basics are similar for catching the different species, a lot of research goes into being successful.

“You have to be sure you’re using the right size hook if you’re going after a species with a really small mouth that’s a big fish,” she said. “We recently caught some really big carp and some really big buffalo, and they have these little mouths that are not very strong but they are big, huge fish. You have to know what type tackle you need, the right-size hook that’s going to be strong enough to reel in a heavier fish.

“It’s a little different for each species. You want to know what kind of bait they’re going to bite or what type of lures are going to work best, what kind of water you are working in, whether it’s clear or cloudy or has grass. It’s doing that research for each fish.

“When we go out fishing for redfish or largemouth bass, it’s something you’re used to. You don’t really think about it. We know what works and you go after it. But when you’re trying to catch different species, you really have to look into a lot of different things, what’s going to work, and it might be something that’s totally new to us.”

As much as they enjoy traveling to fish for new and unique species, they also love fishing at home.

“I’ve actually been able to get quite a few of my records here at home. I was born and raised right here in Charleston and lived my whole life here,” said Jason, whose list of IGFA records includes freshwater and saltwater catches made from the Ashley, Stono and Kiawah rivers. It’s kind of neat bringing home an award from your hometown.

“Even though we enjoy traveling and going after new species and seeing new waterways and experiencing new fishing, I’m the first to say the Charleston area has some incredible fishing. We love living here because it’s such great fishing.

“We’ve gotten recognized on the world stage, so to speak, but a lot of those fish were caught right here at home. It’s a testament to the great resources we have, both freshwater and saltwater, right here in Charleston.”