Bow Angler Sets Missouri White Sucker Record

Missouri angler Justin Lakey shot a state-record white sucker while bowfishing last month at Lake Taneycomo.

Lakey’s 5-pound, 1-ounce white sucker shot on Feb. 22 is a new record in the alternative-methods category, the Missouri Department of Conservation said.

The previous record (2010) weighed 4-5.

This is the fourth state fishing record of 2020 in Missouri.

The catch was verified by MDC staff on a certified scale at Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in Branson.

Suckers are one of the dominant groups of large fishes in Missouri waters. They feed mostly by sucking up material from the bottom. White suckers are found nearly statewide, but are absent from the Bootheel lowlands and southeastern Ozarks.

Missouri state-record fish are kept in pole-and-line and alternative methods categories. Alternative methods include trotlines, throwlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl.

Click for more information on state-record fish.

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