Brian Rehmeier, of Augusta, became the most recent record-breaking angler in Missouri when he snagged a gizzard shad on Bigelow Creek in St. Charles County, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The new "alternative method" record fish caught by Rehmeier on March 20 weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces with a length of 17.9 inches. Rehmeier's recent catch broke the previous state record of a 2-pound, 6-ounce gizzard shad caught in 2017.
"I was trying to catch Asian carp when I snagged the gizzard shad," Rehmeier said in MDC's news release. "I knew the shad I caught was pretty big, but never thought it would be a state record."
Rehmeier said he was planning to use the shad for catfish bait, but that changed once he checked the fishing state records.
"I was pretty surprised to learn the fish I snagged would now be the new state record," he said. "It's not the coolest state-record fish, but I'll take it!"
"2019 is shaping up to be a year for state-record fish," said MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson. "The gorgeous weather we are beginning to have this year means more anglers are fishing and catching big fish."
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.