Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Miloshewski/Missouri Department of Conservation (from left) Phil Lilley, Paul Crews, and Jim Rayfield Sr.
The Missouri Department of Conservation reports Paul Crews of Neosho has become the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he hooked a brown trout on Lake Taneycomo using a rod and reel.
The new “pole and line” record brown trout caught by Crews on Feb. 23rd weighed 34 pounds, 10 ounces. The new record beats the previous state record by 6 pounds and 2 ounces. Crews was fishing with 4-pound test line and a sculpin colored marabou jig.
Crews says he never would have dreamed of catching a state-record fish like this. He tells the department of conservation he was still in shock that he actually caught the giant brown trout.
Crews notes he and his partner, Jim Rayfield Sr., were out fishing in the Vince Elfrink Memorial Trout Tournament when he caught the state-record brown trout.
The Neosho man says he usually only trout fishes one time a year–during the tournament.
Crews says once he hooked the fish, he wasn’t sure it was that large until it began fighting.
He says he fought the fish from one side of the lake to the other and back. Finally, after about 20 minutes of fighting the trout, Crews and his fishing partner were able to get it netted and bring it in the boat.
Crews adds he knew the fish was big once it was in the boat, but he never really thought much about it being a state record.
He says once the fish was in the boat, he just knew he and partner had won the tournament, but was shocked to hear he was a state record holder.
MDC staff verified Crews’ record-weight fish using a certified scale at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.
Crews says he took pictures, got the dimensions of the fish to make a replica, and then released the giant brown trout back into Lake Taneycomo.
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 MO Department of Conservation.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI