State record white sucker

[Quillback]

11-Year-Old Lands New State Record

A Great White! …White Sucker that is. On June 14, 2025 Daniel Bridgmon, an 11-year-old angler from Midway, Arkansas, was fishing with his dad on the Bull Shoals tailwater (White River) when he landed a 1-pound 15-ounce White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii). The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Division has approved this impressive catch as a newly recognized state record!

Daniel and his dad were enjoying some bank fishing at Bull Shoals State Park when he hooked into the large White Sucker using simple rod and reel tackle with a worm. The fish put up a solid fight before being successfully landed.

The White River below Bull Shoals Dam is renowned for its exceptional fishing, and this record highlights the diverse angling opportunities available in Arkansas waters. It also underscores the importance of introducing youth to the joys of fishing. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintains official state fishing records to document angling achievements and promote awareness of the state's aquatic resources. Records like Daniel's inspire the next generation of anglers and remind us why protecting our aquatic resources is so vital.

Congratulations to Daniel on this outstanding achievement!

 

[Seth]

I'm shocked the state record is less than 2 lbs. It's hard to catch a white sucker that small on Taneycomo! I just assumed they were similar in size throughout the white river system.

[tjm]

I think Taney county has provided a couple of past Mo. record suckers, it may be they just get bigger there.  But the picture of the <2# in this story looks as long as the >6# record in MO. It's funny what cameras do to fish size. 

[Quillback]

Looked up the MO state record for pole and line and it is 4 lbs. 8 OZ and it did come from Taney.  Caught in 1990.  Alternate method is 6 lb.'s 2 oz from Roark Creek.

I read that there was no prior state record for white sucker in Arkansas, so it may have snuck under the radar as a species in Arkansas.  I would have to think there are bigger ones in the White.

 

[tjm]

Most folks don't even think about records on fish that aren't popular target species, but AGFC says 

Quote

GFC considers records for all fish over 8 oz. that are native or actively stocked or managed for recreational purposes. One-ounce gradations are used for records, and fractions of an ounce are disregarded. No alterations to the fish to increase weight are allowed.

And if you examine  the list of current records there are few enough species listed that many other records are vacant and could be claimed with a 1/2# fish. I'd almost bet that everyone on this forum has tossed back a state record at some point in our life, That big chub maybe? When Mo. started keeping records on alternative method catches lots of the records were smallish.