State and possible world record redhorse

[Quillback]

Didn't know they got this big.

11-year old angler catches state-record and possibly world-record river redhorse

MDC congratulates Maverick Yoakum on breaking the state record by catching a 10-pound, 3-ounce river redhorse on Tavern Creek near St. Elizabeth.

DIXON, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports that 11-year old Maverick Yoakum of Dixon 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 Yoakum on March 4 weighed 10-pounds, 3-ounces. The new record breaks the previous state-record and world record pole-and-line river redhorse of 9-pound, 13-ounces caught at Tavern Creek in 2016. Yoakum was using worms when he caught the fish. MDC staff verified the record-weight fish using a certified scale in Brinktown.

“I fought the fish for about two to three minutes before I got it to the bank,” said Yoakum. “I thought I caught a pretty big fish, but I didn’t know it was a state record until my dad told me to look it up online. I’m super excited to hold a state record!”

River redhorse fish are part of the sucker family. They are a moderately chubby, coarse-scaled fish with a dorsal fin containing 12 or 13 rays. These fish can be found mostly throughout the Ozarks.

Yoakum’s fish also beats the current world record, pending verification by the International Game Fish Association (IFGA). While the river redhorse does get much larger, IFGA 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 possibly be the largest river redhorse ever taken with a pole and line.”

Yoakum added it’s hard to believe he may be a world-record holder.

“I just can’t believe it! I have never thought about holding a record, and now I may be a world-record holder. I can’t believe it!” he said. “I want to thank my dad for always taking me fishing, because if it wasn’t for him taking me fishing I wouldn’t have caught a fish like I did.”

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://bit.ly/2efq1vl.

[Johnsfolly]

I could not get the photo to open on the email notification that I received on this story from the MDC. I would like to see this fish. He caught this not too far from where I was fishing for redhorse last weekend and I wish that I had caught it . Or at the very least caught a river redhorse as well as the golden redhorse I did catch. Love the kid's name - Maverick. Good for him and his family.

[bfishn]

Here you go.

 

[Terrierman]

That's awesome.  Tavern creek is a real mid Missouri gem.  It used to be kind of under the radar.  Not so sure about it since the rise of the internet.

[Gavin]

They swinging bridge on Tavern Creek is pretty cool. Think that's in Iberia, but havenot been through there in awhile. More green bass than brown ones the two times I floated it. Nice creek, but would rather fish the Piney or Gasconade. Good for them, that's a huge Redhorse.

[fishinwrench]

4 hours ago, Gavin said:

They swinging bridge on Tavern Creek is pretty cool. Think that's in Iberia, but havenot been through there in awhile. More green bass than brown ones the two times I floated it. Nice creek, but would rather fish the Piney or Gasconade. Good for them, that's a huge Redhorse.

St.Elizabeth

[MickinMO]

Swinging bridge repalced about 5 years ago. Great creek for gigging and grabbin.