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PIERRE -- Another South Dakota fish record was broken in 1999 when J.D. O^Grady of Yankton caught a new state record smallmouth bass.
O^Grady^s fish officially weighed six pounds, one ounce, and measured 20 inches from its snout to the tip of its tail. He caught the record smallmouth on Sept. 22 from Lewis and Clark Lake in Yankton County.
Should an angler catch a possible state record fish, the first thing to do is get it weighed on a certified scale.
Fisheries Administrator Dennis Unkenholz said, "Under South Dakota rules, the weight must be rounded down to the nearest ounce. To replace the existing record, a fish must weigh at least one ounce more. If it breaks the record by less than an ounce, the two fish will be listed as co-holders of the record."
Once a possible state record has been caught, anglers should also contact a Game, Fish and Parks official who will positively identify the fish and sign a record fish form. If identification of the species is difficult, a qualified ichthyologist may have view the fish.
Uploaded: 10/6/1999
Uploaded: 10/6/1999