Nebraskaland Magazine
The year 2021 is in the rear-view mirror. Time to summarize the state record fish that were caught last year:
Surface Spearing
No state record fish were taken by surface spearing in 2021.
Underwater Spearfishing
Two state record fish were taken by underwater spearfishing last year, both of them channel catfish. The first was taken on June 5 and weighed 26 pounds 9 ounces.
A little over a week later, that record was bested by a 27 pound 5 ounce fish.
Both of those fish were speared at Box Butte Reservoir.
Bowfishing
There were two fish taken by bowfishing certified as state records in 2021. The first of those was a 6 pound 6 ounce white sucker taken on April 25 from Box Butte Reservoir.
The second was a 16 pound 10 ounce black buffalo taken on July 28 from the Missouri River in Cedar County.
Rod and Reel
We also had two fish caught on rod and reel that were certified as new state records last year. The first came just three days into the year, January 3. That was a 1 pound 14 ounce green sunfish, and it was pulled through a hole in the ice on Clatonia 3A Reservoir. It was caught on a waxworm.
Just a couple of months later, on March 11, a new state record tiger trout was caught at the inlet to Sutherland Reservoir. That fish bumped the rod & reel tiger trout state record to just less than seven pounds at 6 pounds 13 ounces. It was caught on a minnow.
A total of six new state records were certified in 2021. That was a good number, but lower than what we saw the year before when there were nine. Surprisingly, after standing for twenty years, our rod & reel green sunfish record was broken twice in just three months. Likewise, the underwater spearfishing record for channel catfish had stood for over twenty years and then was broken twice in eight days.
You just never know.
If you want more details on those state record fish, be sure to go back and see State Record Update, Spring 2021 and State Record Update, Stickin’ Em 2021.
You can see the whole list of Nebraska State Record Fish HERE.
State record rules and an application form can be found in every copy of the 2022 Fishing Guide. Take a minute and familiarize yourself with the list and rules. It could keep you from having one of those stories about the state record fish you caught, but just did not know.
Again this year we have already had a state record fish pulled through an ice hole. I am not going to tell you about it yet; am going to wait to see if we have any more caught by ice anglers. “Stay tuned”, and keep your line in the water. Your next fish could be THE big one!
