Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Growing State Record Bluegill in Your Pond

Question for the forum:

Who has grown and caught a BG that would be a state record in their home state?

Most states with CNBG keep that record separately. If your record was for a particular strain, report the strain.

Feel free to add any other information about your pond and management that you think contributed to the trophy fish. Learning how to grow big BG is always a worthy pastime.


[If you don't want to report a record fish on an "open" forum, but still want to participate in the thread, please send me a PM. I will then report something like, "a member in Iowa reported catching a 3.25# BG compared to the state record of 3.13#. They have a LMB/BG/RES pond and use supplemental feed."]

Thanks for any replies. I do like to hear of awesome member results when I get to read Pond Boss. You can definitely include a picture if you have one, because we all seem to love pictures of nice fish!

Indiana state record is 3#, 4 oz. caught in 1972

Indiana also does NOT recognize any fish caught from a managed BOW for a state record. Cecil Baird grew a state record Yellow Perch and they denied him the record. Yet the state recognizes "Fish of the Year" from waters that are managed, but they don't ask that question on the "Fish of the Year" form. I guess don't ask don't tell?

Anyway in 2024, there were Two fish that I stocked in a public pond that won the annual Indiana Big Fish contest, Brook Trout, and Tilapia, (they only go by length, not by weight). The biggest bluegill caught last year was 11.5" and a Hybrid Bluegill that was 12.5" was already caught from another customers pond this year, but not entered in the contest.

Thanks esshup, that is an enlightening comment.

Perhaps the state agencies should have two classes of state records; public waters and managed ponds?

I like the concept of state records for two reasons. First, if someone is growing state records in their ponds, I think it would be a great memory to have a kid/grandchild catch and report a state record as a treasured memory. Secondly, it estimates the maximum possible size for each species in a managed pond for each geographic location.

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.

IMO usually in public waters the larger fish get harvested by naive, meat fisher "anglers", thus fewer big fish are caught per hour of angling.

In addition, inadequate food resources have been identified as the major cause of low fish growth and that occurs in lightly or unmanaged waters - which describe most large public waters. There are some exceptions in waters that have unusually productive characteristics.

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.

That requirement changed at some point, I heard that also and checked into the requirements before getting my fish from ODWC in 2022.

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/lands-and-minerals/pond-management/stocking-program

Requirements

The Department recognizes the needs of owners of new and reclaimed farm ponds. Our present program fulfills these needs at the lowest possible cost to the sportsman of Oklahoma. However, several requirements must be met before fish can be provided.

All ponds must be at LEAST 1/2 surface acre in size. If in doubt measure the length and width of the pond in feet and then multiply: length X width = square feet of pond ÷ 43,560 = surface acre(s).

Fish will not be provided for private ponds which have a charge for fishing.

NO POND CAN BE STOCKED THAT HAS AN EXISTING FISH POPULATION PRESENT.

There is a limit of three ponds or 10 acres total per applicant per year.

The applicant must have a current Oklahoma fishing license, NO EXCEPTIONS. The only income for operation of hatcheries comes from the sale of licenses. It is only fair that landowners receiving fish share in the cost of rearing these fish.

Law enforcement personnel are allowed to check licenses of those fishing in your pond. However, you do NOT have to allow other people to fish in your pond.