The fish weighed 0.41 pounds and was eight inches in both length and girth. Shanks used an Arkie Sexee Tail and 4-pound test Crappie Maxx monofilament.
His catch replaces the previous state record longear sunfish that was caught in Big Darby Creek by Brian Zimmerman on June 6, 2004, weighing 0.2 pounds and measuring 6-1/2 inches long.
Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologist Debra Walters confirmed the catch.
“Actually, I was going for the record,” said Shanks, 30. “I had caught some large fish of that species there before, so when I found out what the record was, I knew I had a good chance.”
Ohio state record fish are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee. Assisting in the process are fisheries biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
For a list of all of Ohio’s fishing records, go online to: outdoorwritersofohio.org/current-ohio-record-fish.
Waterfowlers set boot camp, festival
The eighth annual Waterfowlers Boot Camp and Outdoor Festival will be July 21-22 at Cardinal Center Campground in Marengo.
The two-day event, presented by the Ohio Waterfowl Association, features more than 75 vendors demonstrating and selling hunting equipment, seminars led by professional calling and hunting celebrities and seven waterfowl calling contests. Included are sanctioned calling qualifiers for the Ohio State Championship and the Great Lakes Championship, as well as two $1,000 shootouts.
A kids boot camp Saturday morning will teach shooting, calling and hunting techniques to youth ages 6-12, and camping is available on the 200-acre Cardinal Center grounds, located 25 miles north of Columbus.
Parking and admission to the Waterfowlers Boot Camp are free.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 21, and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 22.
For more information, visit www.waterfowlbootcamp.com.
Online survey for waterfowlers
The Ohio Division of Wildlife is asking Ohio waterfowl hunters to provide input on the timing of the fall waterfowl hunting season and where they prefer to hunt in Ohio.
The Ohio Wildlife Council will establish season dates and other regulations in mid-August after federal guidelines are established for the upcoming season.
Biologists are seeking input from Ohio waterfowl hunters through an online survey so opportunities can be closely matched to the preferences of as many hunters as possible within the constraints of federal guidelines.
The survey is available at wildohio.com until Aug. 1.
Hunters will need to have their customer identification number available (found on all Ohio hunting and fishing licenses) when they take the survey.
Similar information was solicited from Ohio waterfowl hunters last summer and used to set the 2011-2012 hunting season dates within each zone.
Contact outdoors columnist Jim Morris at sports@coxohio.com.
About the Author