Possible World Record Breaks Angler's Own Mark

Two state fishing records have been reported in Missouri, including one that could be a world record.

Tyler Goodale of Poplar Bluff is credited with breaking his own state record for spotted sucker, with a 5-pound, 4-ounce fish caught April 1 at the Duck Creek Conservation Area, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The catch not only beats his own record (3-10, caught in 2014), but also challenges the existing world record recognized by the International Game Fish Association.

"Goodale’s latest catch beats the existing world record by nearly 2 pounds,” MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson said in a news release. “The previous world record was a 3-pound, 5-ounce sucker caught back in 2008 in Tennessee. Missouri has had a number of world-record fish over the years. Currently the state holds at least five world records.”

"I’ve fished for spotted sucker at Duck Creek before and have already broken a state and world record," Goodale said. "But I didn’t submit that entry because I knew I could catch a bigger fish! This was the catch I was waiting for so I’ll submit this one for the world record."

Read more about Goodale’s record catch

Bowfishing record eclipsed

Joseph Duncan of Fredericktown was bowfishing at a private pond in Madison County on April 19 when he shot a state-record (alternative methods) gizzard shad. The 3-pound, 9-ounce fish beat the previous record of 2-13 (2019; Bull Creek), according the MDC. It is the sixth state record caught in Missouri in 2020 (including Goodale’s spotted sucker).

"It was a surprise to get a state record that day because I wasn’t targeting shad at all," Duncan said, according to a news release. "We were actually doing some grass carp control that day, but I’m pretty excited about it. It was only a matter of time before one of us shot a shad. We saw some pretty big ones in there!"

More info on state-record fish in Missouri