The shoal bass state record was broken just last year, and now that record has been tied.
Clark Wheeler of Arabi is the proud new angler who will share the shoal bass state record. His catch, caught on April 16 on the Flint River near Warwick, weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 24 ½ inches, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“We were thrilled to hear that another shoal bass of this size was caught and proud to recognize Mr. Wheeler’s catch as a state record tie. Five new state records in the past year proves just how amazing Georgia’s fishing opportunities really are,” said Scott Robinson, Chief of Fisheries for the Wildlife Resources Division.
Shoal Bass (Micropterus cataractae), designated as the official state riverine sportfish species, are native to the Chattahoochee and Flint River basins; and introduced in the Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers. They have an upper jaw that does not extend beyond the eyes, unlike the largemouth bass, and the dorsal fin is continuous and not deeply notched. They are most like the redeye basses, but do not have any red coloration in the fins or pale margins on the tail.
Bass slam
Catch five different black bass species and you have a Georgia Bass Slam. This program recognizes anglers with the knowledge and skill to catch different species of bass in a variety of habitats across the state, while also stimulating interest in the conservation and management of black bass and their habitats, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.
Georgia’s 10 recognized native black bass species are largemouth, smallmouth, shoal, Suwannee, spotted, redeye, Chattahoochee, Tallapoosa, Altamaha and Bartram’s. Anglers can find out more about these eligible bass species, including images, location maps and more at BassSlam.com.
To qualify for the Georgia Bass Slam, fish must be caught within a calendar year, must be legally caught on waters where you have permission to fish, and anglers must provide some basic information on the catch (length, weight-if available, county and waterbody where caught) accompanied by several photos of each fish. Anglers will submit information to Georgia.BassSlam@dnr.ga.gov for verification. Complete rules posted at BassSlam.com.
Those who complete the slam will receive a certificate worthy of framing, two Go Fish Education Center passes, and some stickers to advertise the achievement.
Anglers also will be recognized on the WRD website.