Originally Posted by esshup
Originally Posted by Learninboutfish
Originally Posted by jludwig
The Oklahoma state record bluegill is 2 lbs, 6.40 oz, 12.75 inch length, and 14.5 inch girth caught in a Kay County Pond on 5/8/1987. Kay County is in North Central Oklahoma.

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/2021-09/bluegill_sunfish_tom_shorter.jpg

All of the sunfish records were caught in farm ponds for Oklahoma.

The ODWC’s regulations on state records consider the location where the fish was caught. For a fish to qualify as a state record, it must have been caught from a body of water that is legally open to the public, ensuring that the angler had the proper licensing and access rights.

I'm guessing these were somehow considered public waters or maybe the rule changed at some point.

I know the commissioner for ODWC for my region, I'll have to ask him the next time I see him.

If a private pond owner gets their fish from ODWC, then the pond has to be open to the public to fish even if it's on private property.

This is why we avoided getting fish from the ODWC.