Find out if your catch is a record-breaker

So you’ve finally hooked a real whopper! Congrats, high fives, knuckles and all that. Hold it high and smile wide because it may be the biggest fish you’ve ever caught.

But wait, there’s more. What if it is a new state record? Chances are good that most record fish get eaten and end up as nothing more than a good photo. Why not at least check it out?

The rules and procedures for entering your fish are clearly printed in the current Ohio Fishing Regulations booklet and available online, but while you are trying to locate them, take care of your monster. The first thing to remember is that record fish are judged on weight alone — so get to a certified scale ASAP.

Your catch will need to be officially identified, an application completed and plenty more. The list is kept by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio and the Record Fish Committee boss is Fred Snyder at fnsnyder@gmail.comm or 419-307-1515.

Please clip the following list of Ohio’s record fish and carry it in your tackle box. A quick look will reveal whether your fish is a winner or dinner.

The Ohio record fish list is maintained by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee, www.outdoorwritersofohio.org

Hook & Line Division

Bass, Hybrid Striped: 18.32 pounds, 31.75 inches, Deer Creek Lake. Richard Knisley, Washington Court House, May 24, 2015.

Bass, Largemouth: 13.13 pounds, 25 1/16 inches, Farm pond. Roy Landsberger, Kensington, May 26, 1976.

Bass, Rock: 1.97 pounds, 14 3/4 inches, Deer Creek near London. George A Keller, Dayton, Sept 3, 1932.

Bass, Smallmouth: 9.5 pounds, 23 1/2 inches, Lake Erie. Randy Van Dam, Kalamazoo, Michigan, June 16, 1993.

Bass, Spotted: 5.25 pounds, 21 inches, Lake White. Roger Trainer, Waverly, May 2, 1967.

Bass, Striped: 37.10 pounds, 41 1/4 inches, West Branch Reservoir. Mark Chuifo, Ravenna, July 2, 1993.

Bass, White: 4 pounds, 21 inches, Gravel pit. Ira Sizemore, Cincinnati, July 1, 1983.

Bluegill: 3.28 pounds, 12 3/4 inches, Salt Fork Reservoir. Willis D. Nicholes, Quaker City, April 28, 1990.

Bowfin: 11.69 pounds, 33 1/4 inches, Nettle Lake. Christopher A. Boling, Montpelier, May 9, 1987.

Bullhead: 4.25 pounds, 18 1/2 inches, farm pond. Hugh Lawrence Jr., Keene, May 20, 1986.

Burbot: 17.33 pounds, 36 inches, Lake Erie. Bud Clute, Chardon, Dec. 20, 1999.

Carp (Common): 50 pounds, 40 inches, Paint Creek. Judson Holton, Chillicothe, May 24, 1967.

Catfish, Blue: 96 pounds, 54 1/2 inches, Ohio River. Chris Rolph, Williamsburg, June 11, 2009.

Catfish, Channel: 37.65 pounds, 41 1/2 inches, LaDue Reservoir. Gus J Gronowski, Parma, Aug. 15, 1992.

Catfish, Flathead: 76.5 pounds, 58 5/8 inches, Clendening Lake. Richard Affolter, New Philadelphia, July 28, 1979.

Crappie, Black: 4.5 pounds, 18 1/8 inches, Private lake. Ronald Stone, Wooster, May 24, 1981.

Crappie, White: 3.90 pounds, 18 1/2 inches, Private pond. Kyle Rock, Zanesville, April 25, 1995.

Drum, Freshwater (Sheepshead): 23.5 pounds, 37 1/8 inches, Sandusky River. James S. Williams, Fremont, July 21, 2001.

Gar, Longnose: 25 pounds, 49 inches, Ohio River. Flora Irvin, Cincinnati, Aug. 31, 1966.

Muskellunge: 55.13 pounds, 50 1/4 inches, Piedmont Lake. Joe D. Lykins, Piedmont, April 12, 1972.

Muskellunge, Tiger: 31.64 pounds, 47 inches, Turkeyfoot Lake. Matt Amedeo, Akron, April 29, 2006.

Perch, White: 1.72 pounds, 14 1/8 inches, Lake Erie. Terry R. Patton, Galion, Jan. 29, 2011.

Perch, Yellow: 2.86 pounds, 15 3/4 inches, Lake Erie. David Berg, Mentor, April 18, 2016.

Pickerel, Chain: 6.25 pounds, 26 1/4 inches, Long Lake. Ronald P. Kotch, Akron, March 25, 1961.

Pike, Northern: 22.78 pounds, 45 inches, McKarns Lake. Troy Klingler, Stryker, Sept. 24, 2016.

Salmon, Chinook: 29.5 pounds, 42 7/8 inches, Lake Erie. Walter Shumaker, Ashtabula, Aug. 4, 1989.

Salmon, Coho: 13.63 pounds, 34 3/4 inches, Huron River. Barney Freeman, Kansas, Dec. 1, 1982.

Salmon, Pink: 3.06 pounds, 20 1/8” Conneaut Creek. Andy Janoski, Chagrin Falls, Sept. 24, 2004.

Sauger: 7.31 pounds, 24 1/2 inches, Maumee River. Bryan Wicks, Maumee, March 10, 1981.

Saugeye: 14.04 pounds, 30 1/8 inches, Antrim Lake. Roger Sizemore, Orient, Nov. 24, 2004.

Sucker, Buffalo: 46.01 pounds, 42 inches, Hoover Reservoir. Tim Veit, Galena, July 2, 1999.

Sucker, (other than buffalo): 9.25 pounds, 27 1/2 inches, Leesville Lake. Wayne Gleason, Wellsville, April 3, 1977.

Sunfish, Green: 1.20 pounds, 11 inches Richland County farm pond. SueAnn Newswanger, Shiloh, May 13, 2018.

Sunfish, Hybrid: 2.03 pounds, 12 1/4 inches, Champaign County farm pond. Ray Durham, Mechanicsburg, July 21, 2003.

Sunfish, Longear: 0.41 pounds, 8 inches, Greene County gravel pit. Kevin Shanks, Bellbrook, April 22, 2012.

Sunfish, Pumpkinseed: 1.10 pounds, 10 1/2 inches, Portage County farm pond. Scott Boykin, Uniontown, June 12, 2009.

Sunfish, Redear: 3.58 pounds, 15 inches, Licking County farm pond. Bert Redman, Newark, Oct. 2, 1998.

Sunfish, Warmouth: 1.32 pounds, 10 3/4 inches, Mahoning County farm pond. Douglas Koenig, Salem, July 19, 2009.

Trout, Brown: 14.675 pounds, 27 1/4 inches, Lake Erie. Robert D. Campbell, Dunbar, Pennsylvania, July 14, 2012.

Trout, Lake: 26.63 pounds, 38 inches, Lake Erie. James J. Beres, Lorain, Dec. 1, 2017.

Trout, Rainbow (Steelhead): 21.3 pounds, 38 inches, Lake Erie. Jason Brooks, Tallmadge, on June 25, 2010.

Walleye: 16.19 pounds, 33 inches, Lake Erie. Tom Haberman, Brunswick, Nov. 23, 1999.

Bowfishing Division

Bowfin: 9.20 pounds, 31 inches, Mogadore Reservoir. Tim Makowski, Massillon, July 2, 2016.

Carp (Common): 53.65 pounds, 45 inches, Lake Erie. Patrick Johnson, Toledo, June 9, 2013.

Gar, Longnose: 19.21 pounds, 53.1 inches, Turkeyfoot Lake. Zachary Jared, Akron May 12, 2011.

Sucker, Buffalo: 43 pounds, 43.5 inches, Hoover Reservoir. Josh Bowmar, Westerville, May 21, 2018.

Sucker, (other than buffalo): 11.21 pounds, 31 1/2 inches, Maumee River. Brent McGlone, Marysville, May 18, 2007.