I got to thinking about records last week while fishing in my pond. I use a Shakespeare ultralight rod and reel loaded with 4 pound test line to catch bluegill. Most are seven to nine inches long and weigh 10 to 14 ounces, but I landed one last week that was 10 inches long and weighed one pound, one ounce. But that is not even close to the record.
The world record bluegill weighed 4-12 and was caught in Alabama back in 1950, so that record is not likely to fall. The IGFA also keeps line class records, and the record on four pound line is 2-12 so I am not close on it, either.
On the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division website is a list of state record game fish and the bluegill record is a 3-5 fish caught in 1977. That record has stood for a long time and I am not likely to break it.
What really got my interest started was a catfish I caught. For several years I fed the fish in my pond and never saw a catfish. Then about two years ago I saw one feeding with the bream. This year there are several that come up when I feed the fish, and I have caught several.
The cats are actually bullheads, a type of catfish common throughout the US. I am pretty sure they are black bullheads and I have no idea how they got into the pond. I have heard bullhead eggs will stick to wading birds legs in one pond and be transferred to another pond that way. Since my pond is spring fed they could not have come downstream.
I caught a bullhead weighing 3-4 on my bream outfit with four pound line. I thought that was pretty good, until I looked in the IGFA book and saw the record was 7-7. But then I checked the line class record black bullhead for four pound line and it is only 1-15. So maybe I do have a record.
I will have to check into more details since black bullheads are hard to identify because brown bullheads are so similar. The four pound test line record for brown bullheads is 4-14 and it was caught in Eatonton, GA.
For state records, the brown bullhead record is 5-8 so I am not close to it. There is no listing for the black bullhead on the DNR site.
According to the rules on the DNR site: “For a Freshwater Fish State Record, fish caught from hatcheries or intensive fish culture facilities are not eligible.” Since I feed my fish every day, I thought they may not count but I was told that applies to commercial establishments, not private ponds.
Not only does the IGFA keep up with line class and all tackle records, they have a state record list. It is very limited, though and the Georgia list includes only largemouth bass, stripers, hybrids, bluegill and channel cats. They do break them down into line class records in four, 12 and 20 pound test line.
The IGFA also list flyrod records based on tippet size in a different list. Both categories are further divided into freshwater and saltwater sections.
If you are a young fisherman, you might be interested in the Junior records. They are broken down into male and female categories in small fry, up to 10 years old and junior, 11 to 16 years old. This offers young anglers a chance to get their name in the record book while competing within their age groups. The Georgia DNR is working on a program for junior anglers, too.
You don’t have to set a world or state record to be recognized. The state offers Angler Award Certificates if you catch a fish over a set size. For example, you can get a certificate for largemouth over 10 pounds, bluegill over 1.5 pounds and brown bullheads over two pounds. A junior program for this certification is also being developed.
You can get more info on Georgia from the DNR website at http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/content/displaynavigation.asp?TopCategory=19 and you can get the IGFA record book by joining that organization. The record book is worth the $35 annual dues to me, it has a lot of great info. There is also a junior membership for $15 and their web site is http://www.igfa.org/
Go out and get yourself a record fish!
