High-five: AZGFD certifies five state records
The records are official. San Carlos is still a crappie king. Becker Lake is a prime spot to tame tigers. Apache Lake is a hog catfish haven. And the Colorado River? It has always harbored some of the state’s biggest catfish and carp.
Apparently, Saturday, March 31 was the day to be crappie fishing on San Carlos Reservoir because both a state record and a Big Fish of the Year leader were caught.
Apache Lake, meanwhile, has been a big-fish factory so far in 2018, producing one state record fish and two Big Fish of the Year leaders.
Here are the 2018 state records that we’ve just made official:
Inland Waters – Catch and Release
- White crappie, 16 inches, San Carlos Reservoir, Matthew Rokusek of Gilbert, March 31. Taken on a minnow.
- Tiger trout, 16 inches, Becker Lake, Robert Morse Jr. of Prescott, April 25. Taken on a spoon.
Inland Waters – Non-Hook and Line
- Channel catfish (archery), 12 pounds, 1.6 ounces, Apache Lake, Sean Toolson of Gilbert, March 29.
Colorado River Waters – Non-Hook & Line
- Carp (archery), 35 pounds, 6.4 ounces; 40 inches, Lake Havasu, Ted Keller of Lake Havasu City, May 4.
Colorado River Waters – Catch & Release
- Channel catfish, 35 inches, Lake Havasu, George S. Terro Jr. of Bullhead City, April 28. Taken on cut bluegills. Read more about this catch.
And now the new Big Fish of the Year leaders:
Big Fish of the Year entries
(not state records; above state records are also BFOY leaders)
Catch & Keep
- Black crappie, 2 pounds, 7.36 ounces, 14 inches, San Carlos Reservoir, Scott Gaulin, March 3.
- Bigmouth buffalo, 31 pounds, 3.2 ounces, 37 inches, Apache Lake, Ronald Nuss Jr., June 18.
- Channel catfish, 12 pounds, 1.6 ounces, 30 inches, Apache Lake, Sean Toolson, March 29.
Community Fishing Entries – Catch & Keep
- Yellow bullhead, 2 pounds, 6.4 ounces, 16 inches, Riverview Park, Xai Thao, Jan. 18.
