What is the closest you have come to a state record fish?

[Munkin]

Mine was when I was 18 and caught my first Tiger Musky. At the time I didn't know they were in the Potomac River and caught it fishing for other fish. Had the fish officially weighed not even positive of the species only going off the MD DNR book they gave me when I purchased my license. I was 2 ounces short at the time with the record of 17-4. This record has been broken several times since then and my personal best Tiger is 25-6 currently.

The only other fish that is questionable is my brother caught a Crappie once on a hellgrammite that measured a little over 22.5" fishing for bass. Since I don't fish for them or know anything about then when he caught it just seemed like a big one. We just threw it back in after measuring it and forgot about it. Then when we stopped by a local tackle shop that kept pictures of the biggest fish customers caught for prizes, I noticed the biggest crappie was 17". Not sure how his fish would have stacked up but it is the biggest Crappie I have every seen besides the world record one at BPS in Missouri.

Allen

[Ranchhand02]

When I walked by the replica of it in the tackle shop.

[draym]

6 1/2lb smallie in texas

[brianf.]

32lb carp that ate a crappie jig on 4lb line. At the time, the fish was a line class WR, but being young and a bass nut just didn't care to submit the paperwork.

57" musky caught/released that tied the MN state record release at the time of the catch. Did not care to turn in the paperwork. The record has been advanced a couple times since then.

[cubswin]

Had two 18 1/2" crappie that would've been close but would've been about 1/2lb short. Had a drum last year that was probably 5lbs short.

Outside of that, nothing really close.

[rednecktech]

Not a state record but many years ago I once pursued the IGFA line class for a Spot on 6# line. Fishing the Coosa I had previously caught numerous in the 5-6lb range using 12lb, so I figured it would be easy peezy. I was mistaken. I had 2 chances over the course of a couple years and blew it. The rod I was using did not have enough backbone for a good hook set and I lost both fish. I was wading and one of those I lost right at my feet. Does something to you when you lose a trophy fish.....I said the heck with this and went back to what worked in the past.

[mike464]

Montana state record for 3 years from 2017 to 2020, 7.51 smallie

[jerzia]

Easy one, I fish Cayuga where the state SMB record was caught. Probably as close as I'll ever get....

[Roddy]

I caught a 19lb 5 oz northern pike out of lake Stockton in MO in 1973. It would still be the record by a couple of pounds had I not waited until i was back in Ky to weigh it. MO would not accept it as their record since I weighed in KY.

I missed the KY state record for smallmouth buffalo by 11 oz.

[fr8dog]

I know for certain that I turned loose the OK state record longnose gar. Caught it on a fly. Chased the critter for 15 minutes before I got hooked up. Too big to get in the boat so I tail roped it to a cleat to unhook it. Gave it a half assed quick measurement and let it swim off. I have no pictures so it didn’t happen. I haven’t seen another one anywhere close to that size since.

[188Musky]

I've caught a couple of fish.

In 2009, I caught a smallmouth on a Husky Jerk that could have been over 9 pounds. Prespawn, 23 1/8" long and built like a bluegill. I released it, as it was the catch and release season. I was actually trying to catch walleyes to eat at the time and had no camera in the boat. The state record SMB here is 9 pounds 1 ounce.

The other was a Chinook.

I caught casting at the mouth of a Lake Michigan tributary in 1994. It a female full of eggs and was 47 1/2 inches long. I didn't weigh it, but I did kill it. Took it to my buddy's house, whose mom had a brand-new Canon SLR to take photos. She did... with the lens cap on.

Lots of witnesses to that fish, though. The state record is 47 1/2 inches long, an ounce shy of 46 pounds, and was a male. Females full of eggs are generally slightly heavier than male chinooks of the same length.

[PickensTJ]

I caught a common carp twitching an Original Rapala Floating Minnow while cruising the bank for spawning bass. It weighed 74 pounds on my scales. It was a Sunday. I called the AL District Office in Tuscaloosa and they would not show up to weigh it. Ended up throwing it back. Record is 72 pounds in Alabama.

[blakesfav]

When I was 13 I caught what may have been close to a state record goggleeye out of a pond. I put it on a stringer, tossed it in, and ran home to get my dad and uncle to come weigh it.

When I got back, I pulled it out, and a turtle had eaten most of its back half. So who knows, but my dad and uncle were astounded at how big the remains were.

[Charger69]

I caught a crappie several years ago during a bass tournament that beat the state record. We couldn't find a park ranger to certify and sign off on it

[Munkin]

When I was 13 I caught what may have been close to a state record goggleeye out of a pond. I put it on a stringer, tossed it in, and ran home to get my dad and uncle to come weigh it.

When I got back, I pulled it out, and a turtle had eaten most of its back half. So who knows, but my dad and uncle were astounded at how big the remains were.

t

Caught one of those in the Antietam Creek when I was 15 that measure 16.5" on a white grub. Just threw it back not thinking it was the biggest one I have caught in my lifetime.

Allen

[goose pit]

Can't remember the exact weight, but I was within a few ounces of the Iowa state record sheepshead. That thing absolutely crushed my spinnerbait

[rb]

Caught a 6-1 spotted bass this year. State record is 6-3

[vaw121]

I have caught several green sunfish that where close and maybe a few that where over last few years not knowing what the record was and just chucking them back without caring.

[SoonerFan]

When I was a kid I caught a slightly over 3 pound Crappie at a fishing dock. One of the old-timers there weighed it and told me it was just shy of a state record. It went on the stringer with the rest of them. State record was a little under 4 lb.

[21XDC]

Last year I almost broke the state dogfish record. “Bowfin”. I sight fished it on a buzzbait. It was a riot.