It has been a monster year for monster fish, and the action isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon.
While the biggest fishing story of the year so far has obviously been the man in Virginia with the massive chub (LOL), there have also been a whopping 9 state records broken in Missouri. The Show Me State’s new records include 6 different fish that were caught in the first 6 months of the year, and then there was the kid who broke his dad’s sunfish record, a bighead Carp big enough to set a new world record, and a state record American eel.
There have also been two new records set in North Carolina, for both channel catfish and the blue catfish. The Maryland state record for swordfish was broken once, and then broken twice this summer. The Swordfish record in Mississippi was also broken.
Continuing through the list, the largest chinook salmon ever caught in the Great Lakes broke the Michigan state record. An Oklahoma man threw back the Texas state record flathead catfish before he had it certified. Large and smallmouth bass records were both broken in South Dakota and in North Dakota
Other state records broken this year also include a Paddlefish in Oklahoma, a Skipjack and a Muskie in West Virginia, a Lake Trout in Illinois, and a Fallfish Minnow in Virginia. Plus, there were several new state records caught in Montana this year, including a largemouth bass, walleye, long-nose sucker, and brown trout.
Not only state, but new world records have been set for several species this year too, including a Bullhead Catfish in Louisiana, a Sunfish in Arizona, a Meanmouth Bass in Texas, and a Tiger Trout in Washington.
Well, we’ve got a new species and a new state that have not made the list yet this year, and it might just be the best tasting fish of all this year’s record breakers as well.
Roy Isaac from Albany, New York caught an absolutely monster crappie this past Saturday while fishing off a dock at Sleepy Hollow Lake. He said the fish fought so hard that he thought it was surely a bass, but instead he pulled a 4-pound 4.2-ounce crappie out of the water. He was using a live minnow for a bait.
An official with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation indicated that the fish is likely a white crappie, but additional verification is needed. Either way, it’s a new state record though. The current state record white crappie is 3-pounds 13-ounces while the record for black crappie is 4-pounds 1-ounce.
Isaac said he fishes the lake regularly, and over the last few weeks he’s caught progressively larger and larger crappie, starting with a 1-pound 7-ouncer, then moving up to a 2-pound 10-ouncer, then a 3-pound 10-ouncer, before finally hooking into the absolute pig that broke the record.
He shared his story with Field and Stream.
“When I caught the 3-pound, 10-ouncer, I thought ‘OK, there’s got to be a big one in here. And I kept getting them in the same spot. So, I said, ‘I’m going after the record. All of a sudden, I got a hit.
But then nothing really happened. So I started bringing the bait up. As soon as I got it closer to the shore, the fish saw me and took off. It was a good thing I had my drag set right.
It was a nice fight on 4-pound-test, believe me. That boy had been there a long time. He was so thick and so big for a crappie. To get big like that, that fish had been eating pretty good.”
The fish was weighed on a certified scale at a nearby market and once the Department of Environmental Conservation is done inspecting the fish he plans on getting it mounted to hang on the wall.
He said catching the record breaking fish was even more special because his sons where with him when he caught it.
“My 14-year-old son is funny. After I pulled it up, he was like ‘dad, you’re disgusting. Why should I be fishing right now? I’m going to be known as the son of the father that caught the record fish.’ He had me cracking up.”
He also said breaking records was never his goal, but about so much more than that.
“I just love fishing. For one, it’s peace and tranquility. It allows you to get away from everything and get your thoughts together. I bring my boys because I just let them know that in today’s world, sometimes you need somewhere to go take a break.”
Amen to that.
If you plan on doing any fishing in New York, then be sure you purchase a fishing license.
The sale of fishing licenses directly funds the protection and enhancement of public boat ramps, aquatic environments, and fish populations in all 50 states.
It also protects you from potentially being fined, having your gear confiscated, and/or losing your fishing privileges. It’s important to remember that just because you have a fishing license in one state, that does not mean it is valid in another state.
As always, please fish responsibly and save the whiskey until after you’re off the water.
And if you want to learn how to catch crappie, then you might as well learn from the best. So check out this video from the legendary Bill Dance.
And while you’re at it, you might as well check out the videos of his fishing bloopers as well.
