Record Redhorse

[Johnsfolly]

I have fished the confluence of the Tavern and Osage and caught my largest golden redhorse there last year, but nothing like this one. I'm surprised at the weight, because the fish just doesn't look to be nearly 10 lbs. A great fish!

Jefferson City angler catches state-record river redhorse

MDC congratulates Dan Schmitz on breaking the state record by catching a 9-pound, 13-ounce river redhorse on the Tavern Creek near St. Elizabeth.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that Dan Schmitz of Jefferson City became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he hooked a river redhorse on Tavern Creek using a rod and reel.

The new “pole and line” record river redhorse caught by Schmitz on April 15 weighed 9-pounds, 13-ounces. It broke the previous state-record pole-and-line river redhorse of 9-pound, 10-ounces caught on the Osage River in 2006. Schmitz was using worms when he caught the fish. MDC staff verified the record-weight fish using a certified scale in Jefferson City. 

“I fought the fish for about ten 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 MDC. 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 fish are a part of the sucker family. They are a moderately chubby, coarse-scaled fish with a dorsal fin containing 12 or 13 rays. These fish are can be found mostly throughout the Ozarks.

Schmitz’s fish also beats the current world record. While the river redhorse does get much larger, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) 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,” MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson said. “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.”

Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: throwlines, trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl.

For more information on state-record fish, visit the MDC website at http://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/state-record-fish.

 

Dan Schmitz caught this 9-pound, 13-ounce state-record river redhorse at Tavern Creek near St. Elizabeth on April 15, 2016. (NOTE: High-res image is available at http://mdc.mo.gov/node/32761).

[Mitch f]

What's interesting is that it is the pole and line record. I guess people gig bigger ones than that every year!

[Gavin]

Good for him! Tasty fish and they fight hard.

 

[Seth]

On 4/26/2016 at 1:43 PM, Mitch f said:

What's interesting is that it is the pole and line record. I guess people gig bigger ones than that every year!

I stuck this one on the Bourbeuse last winter near Melody Lake. It weighed right at 12# and is the biggest I've personally ever seen. The state record for alternative methods was 14.5# if I remember correctly though.

[Mitch f]

33 minutes ago, Seth said:

I stuck this one on the Bourbeuse last winter near Melody Lake. It weighed right at 12# and is the biggest I've personally ever seen. The state record for alternative methods was 14.5# if I remember correctly though.

That things got a head like my ex mother-in-law?

[Seth]

It was suspended up in a root wad and I just assumed it was a grass carp when I took a stab at it. We were all surprised when I lifted it in to the boat to see that it was a red horse.

[Johnsfolly]

Seth that is a great fish!

[Al Agnew]

I gotta say I'm WAY surprised at the weight.  The thing looks closer to 4 pounds than 10 pounds.  I did some quick calculations, and if the guy holding it is a normal size human with normal size hands, I don't see how the fish could be much over 22 inches long.  In fact, if his right index finger is a little bigger than mine (I've got small hands), the length shown from the closest knuckle to the palm should be a bit over 2 inches (mine is less than 1.75 inches).  The fish looks to be about nine of those finger lengths long, putting it at between 18 and 19 inches.  No way a redhorse that length weighs over 9 pounds.  But I suppose he could be a bigger man.  I guess if the Department people verified the weight it has to be legit, though. 

[Johnsfolly]

Al - I agree that this fish did not look large enough to weigh nearly ten pounds. Seth's fish definitely looks over ten pounds.

I caught this 22" golden redhorse in the same area of the Tavern and I estimated its weight at 4 to 5 lbs.

[Seth]

I'm with the others here at suspecting the weight of this fish. My hands aren't the biggest, but you can see in my pic that I could barely get my hand under the fishes head while still having a my thump on the top. The hand towards the back is in the same area as the guy holding the "state record" and there is no way I could support the underside of the fish and have any of my other fingers reach up high enough to see them on the back side.