The Big One: Arkansas Fisherman Reels in 16.5 Pound Largemouth Bass
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: February 29, 2012
Almost 36 years to the day, Arkansas's largemouth bass state record has finally been broken. [See more photos below].
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission says on Tuesday, Paul Crowder of Forrest City set the new record on Lake Dunn near Wynne.
Crowder's lunker weighed 16.5 pounds, breaking the old record by just a single ounce.
Aaron Mardis of Memphis had held the state record since March 2, 1976. Mardis' 16.4 pound fish was caught on Mallard Lake near Manila in Mississippi County.
Crowder broke the record on the afternoon of February 28 using a plastic 6-inch Mann's jelly worm
with a bullet sinker and plastic rattle in tequila sunrise. He was using an Enigma rod and reel combo purchased from Bass Pro Shops. Crowder caught the fish on Trilene 14-pound test line. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Biologist Lee Holt certified the fish on a certified scale at Hayes Market in Wynne.
The fish measured 26.5 inches long and was 22.75 inches around.
Crowder said that he had been fishing all day for catfish without any luck. "I made a cast and set
the rod down to take a look at my catfish rods when I noticed the rod was just about out of the
boat," he said. "I was able to grab it just before it went out of the boat," he added.
It was the only fish he caught all day and took about eight minutes for Crowder to reel the record into the boat.
"I didn't have a net, so it took me five or six tries before I was able to lip it and get in the boat," he explained.
The 80-acre lake is located in Village Creek State Park in Cross County.
The AGFC is going to test the fish to see what genetic strain of bass it is. "We are going to take
samples to determine if the fish is a pure northern strain or if it has Florida bass genetics," says
Assistant Chief of Fisheries Chris Racey.
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission says on Tuesday, Paul Crowder of Forrest City set the new record on Lake Dunn near Wynne.
Crowder's lunker weighed 16.5 pounds, breaking the old record by just a single ounce.
Aaron Mardis of Memphis had held the state record since March 2, 1976. Mardis' 16.4 pound fish was caught on Mallard Lake near Manila in Mississippi County.
Crowder broke the record on the afternoon of February 28 using a plastic 6-inch Mann's jelly worm
with a bullet sinker and plastic rattle in tequila sunrise. He was using an Enigma rod and reel combo purchased from Bass Pro Shops. Crowder caught the fish on Trilene 14-pound test line. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Biologist Lee Holt certified the fish on a certified scale at Hayes Market in Wynne.
The fish measured 26.5 inches long and was 22.75 inches around.
Crowder said that he had been fishing all day for catfish without any luck. "I made a cast and set
the rod down to take a look at my catfish rods when I noticed the rod was just about out of the
boat," he said. "I was able to grab it just before it went out of the boat," he added.
It was the only fish he caught all day and took about eight minutes for Crowder to reel the record into the boat.
"I didn't have a net, so it took me five or six tries before I was able to lip it and get in the boat," he explained.
The 80-acre lake is located in Village Creek State Park in Cross County.
The AGFC is going to test the fish to see what genetic strain of bass it is. "We are going to take
samples to determine if the fish is a pure northern strain or if it has Florida bass genetics," says
Assistant Chief of Fisheries Chris Racey.
