Dan Schmitz of Jefferson City, Mo., became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he hooked a river redhorse sucker on Tavern Creek using a rod and reel.
The redhorse Schmitz caught April 15 weighed 9 pounds 13 ounces. The previous record pole-and-line river redhorse was 9 pounds 10 ounces caught in 2006 on the Osage River. Schmitz was using worms when he caught the fish. Missouri Department of Conservation staff verified the record-weight fish.
"I fought the fish for about 10 minutes before I got it to the bank," said Schmitz. "I knew the fish was pretty big, but I didn't know it was a state record until talking to the Conservation Department. I really can't believe I caught a fish like this. I'm not a master angler. I'm just a hobby fisherman who loves to fish. I'm super excited to have the honor to be a state-record holder."
River redhorse are a part of the sucker family. They are moderately chubby and coarse-scaled with a dorsal fin containing 12 or 13 rays. These fish are found mostly in the Ozarks.
Schmitz's fish also beats the world record. While the river redhorse does get much larger, the International Game Fish Association only recognizes fish taken by pole and line.
"Larger river redhorses are usually taken by gigging and do not qualify for the IGFA world record," said Andre Branson, fisheries program specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "Conservation makes Missouri a great place to fish and this new unique record clearly shows why. This fish could be the largest river redhorse ever taken with a pole and line."
Schmitz added it's hard to believe he may be a world-record holder.
"I just can't believe it! One day I'm fishing for fun and the next I could be a world-record holder," he said. "I'm still in disbelief."
Sports on 05/03/2016