MO state Record Longear Sunfish - Alternative methods

[Johnsfolly]

I had thought that new records needed to meet the Master Angler criteria, but since they had a previous record on the books this fish counts. I think that I have caught larger ones on hook and line. Congrats to Robert on this state record fish!  

Need to get some guys to set up limb lines for longears .

St. Louis angler catches state record longear sunfish Robert Audrain III now holds the record longear sunfish under alternative methods JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Robert Audrain III of St. Louis for catching a new state record longear sunfish. Audrain was fishing from a private pond in Franklin County July 3 when he caught the 4-ounce fish. “I was fishing off my father-in-law’s dock at a private lake a little south of Eureka,” Audrain said. “I was with my 12-year-old son and we knew there was some good-sized sunfish in the lake. I was using my handline and it was the first line I threw in when we caught the fish.” The sunfish was weighed on a certified scale at MDC’s St. Louis Regional Office. It’s the 8th state-record fish recorded for 2020. “It’s funny because most of my friends thought it was a joke,” laughed Audrain. “Because of the fish’s size, they really didn’t think that it was a record.” The previous record was a 3-ounce fish caught in 1993 in Lick Log Creek. “The previous record was recognized before the requirement to meet or exceed the Master Angler Award minimum was instituted,” explained MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson. “Even though this new record is below the Master Angler Award minimum of 8-ounces, it still beats the existing record.” As for his new record, Audrain said he plans to mount the sunfish. “My buddy’s father is a taxidermist, and I think I’m going to have him mount it,” he said. “But I think my son and I are going to try for another record. We’re pretty sure there’s a bigger fish in that lake. I think it’d be cool for him to beat my record!” Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: trotlines, throwlines, limblines, banklines, juglines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl. For more information on state-record fish, visit http://bit.ly/2efq1vl. CAPTION: Robert Audrain III of St. Louis is the latest record-holder of 2020 after catching a 4-ounce longear sunfish July 3 off a private lake in Franklin County. Find this and other MDC media releases in our MDC online Newsroom.

[jdmidwest]

Handline category has to be wide open.  This Covid thing and the shortage of fishing equipment will drive all kind of new records.

Somebody has been missing the boat, I have seen bigger fish as bait on trotlines.

[Al Agnew]

You could micro-fish and catch the next record longear!

[Johnsfolly]

29 minutes ago, Al Agnew said:

You could micro-fish and catch the next record longear!

Very true!

[Ryan Miloshewski]

I've recently really began to appreciate the sunfishes in Missouri. I love microfishing for bluegill, redear, longear and pumpkinseed. Almost like I needed another thing to spend money and time on. What a cool fish!

[Johnsfolly]

16 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

I've recently really began to appreciate the sunfishes in Missouri. I love microfishing for bluegill, redear, longear and pumpkinseed. Almost like I needed another thing to spend money and time on. What a cool fish!

There are at least nine of the 13 recognized species of Lepomis sunfish commonly found in MO; including bluegill, redear, green, warmouth, longear, orangespotted, redspotted, dollar, and bantam. It is my understanding that true pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus, are pretty rare in MO. I know that I have spent some money and put in a bunch of miles trying to catch the bantam and dollar sunfish in MO. I also had to eventually run to KS to catch an orangespotted sunfish this summer. Still have been a lot of fun so far.

[Al Agnew]

22 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

I've recently really began to appreciate the sunfishes in Missouri. I love microfishing for bluegill, redear, longear and pumpkinseed. Almost like I needed another thing to spend money and time on. What a cool fish!

Like Johnsfolly said, pumpkinseeds are basically non-existent in MO.  There have been only a short handful of documented collections of true pumpkinseeds.  Although they look superficially like longear, the ear flap is quite different and they have a different, slightly slimmer body shape.  I've caught a few of them a lot farther north than this state.