A member of our fishing club posted this on our website (no, he didn’t catch it)…and I thought I would share it here. It wasn’t caught on fly gear, but just IMAGINE hooking into this beast!
This was caught in Arizona…5.55 pound Redear Sunfish…16.75" long, 19" girth!!
http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/FishingReport/May-4-Fishing-Report.shtml
I think that is a new worlds record in addition to a AZ record. The previous record was caught 5 lb. 7 ozs. caught in 1998 in SC, which would be about an ounces or two less than 5.55 lb which is 8.8 oz. That is a big ole shellcracker.
Awesome fish! I can’t imagine that on a 2 weight…
I love my 2wt but not sure how it would handle that fish.
That thing is HUGH!!! That had to have been a blast to catch.
Okay, I admit it. I’ve held off on responding to the thread simply becausethat Redear is so huge that it makes the nice fish I am able to catch look so well…puny. There is a HUGE overall size difference between a 13-14 inch Redear andthat monster. I fish with a 3 wt rod outmy kayak and even the fish I catch run me all over the place trying to keepthem out of the submerged trees. I don’tkeep fish, but I must admit that if I caught a Redear that large, it wouldprobably end up gracing my wall in my tying room. Whoever says that size doesn’t matter, doesn’tfish for bream. Thanks for sharing.
Jim Smith
James…a 13"-14" Redear is a HUGE redear too! Those would be the new State Record for Iowa…if I could catch one.
I’d love to see the pics of your big fish!
I’m sure in your pictures, you are probably smiling.
I think this fellow was fishing for bass, and he looks rather angry to have been bothered by a new world record Redear! 
If I caught such a record, I would want to keep it alive and let the fish biologist at UGA, being the nearest ag school, see if it could be used as breeding stock. A fiberglass replica would be fine for the wall.
If the 5.55 lbs. is the correct and accepted weight by the records keepers that is a world record by over an oz. The current world record is 5 lbs. 7 oz. (5.44 lbs.) caught in Santee Cooper Diversion Canal in 1998. Both fish were caught in lakes with a mussel or snail rich environment.
Uncle Jesse,
I have to say that I agree with you, except for the University (sic) of Georgia part.
Once a fish like that is caught and publisized, if it is put back it is likely to cause that piece of water to be pounded to death.
Removing the fish but keeping it active in the gene-pool strikes me as being the best option.
Ed
Uncle Jesse,
I agree with you that a fiberglass replica is actually a much better mount if it is well done. There is nothing so pathetic as an old dried out mounted fish with the fins all chipped and cracked. if I were lucky enough to catch a really large bass or bream and I felt that I could keep it alive and I had someplace to take it, I would happily swap it in as a breeder. Heck, I’ll bet Bass Pro Shops would probably pay to display a living world record fish, especially a LM Bass. Think how many people would travel to a Bass Pro Shop just to see a new world record bass swimming around in their big tank. That display alone would pay for itself in additional sales in about a month. Oh well, enough dreaming for now. Back to work for me.
Jim
Funny you should mention it, Jim. Although it was about 1/2 pound less than the Iowa State Record, a 4lb Crappie was caught here about 3 weeks ago. The guy gave it (alive, although they had to work to revive it) to the Bass Pro Shops in Altoona, Iowa. In exchange, they are making him a replica mount of the fish for free. THAT is good business all around. I haven’t been over to see it yet, even though its only about a 15 minute drive from where I am.
Many years ago one the middle weekend of National Guard annual training some friends and I stayed close to the post and camped and fished Lake Mike Connor outside Collins, MS. At that time I was chunking hardware which I used to bring an honest to God what we believed to be in the 3 1/2 lb. crappie along side the boat only to have a friend break my line when he reached for the line to land the fish. There would have been some pictures made but the fish would have been eaten considering where we were. I probably enjoyed harrassing him about breaking my line more than I would have a picture of me holding the fish.
Back then there were 7 alligators in the lake. The largest was called Oscar, reported to be a tad under 19 ft. long. I did see a photo of him along side a Chevy Impala, about the same length.
what a monster!!! what great fun that would be on my 4wt.
The crappie or the 'gator?
Jeez oh #$%& that’s a big redear. I wouldn’t kill it on purpose, but there would sure be a glass replica mount made of that.
That is an amazing fish no doubt about it about it. One question, why does the guy in the picture look so unhappy. He looks like he just picked up his mail and got an audit notice from the IRS, a reminder about his prostate exam from his doctor and an overdraft notice from his bank. If I got a fish like that, I’d be smiling from ear to ear. BTW, I agree that. there isn’t much sadder than a genuine mounted fish with the paint fading and pieces missing all over the body. 8T
8T, I was talking with a friend who mentioned the total lack of joy exhibited by the new record holder and he remember the SC / world record holder from 1998 photo and an equal lack of joy. We came up with the thought “Oh crap, I was just trying to catch some fish to eat, now I am going to have to pay to have a mount made of this thing and will never live it down if I eat it.”
Holy Crappie!!
Jesse,
Thank you for the clarification. It certainly sounds like a plausible reason. I hope that I have an “OH Crap” problem like that one. 8T
Funny you should say that. Many years ago, my grandpa called me and told me he caught a 14 1/2" crappie. I asked him if he was going to get it stuffed. He just laughed and said “God no, we cut it up and ate it for supper”. That’s just what we did with my 12" bluegill, too!
