Jimmy Tucker kicked his summer off the right way, reeling in a Georgia state record bowfin.
Tucker, of Statenville, Ga., hauled in a 16-pound, 3-ounce bowfin on June 21, the first official day of summer. The 33 1/4-inch fish broke the state record from 1976 by 3 ounces, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“Landing a 16-plus pound bowfin is no easy feat, so we are thrilled that Tucker and his fishing buddy – Tyler Carter – were able to get the fish in the boat to claim this new record,” John Biagi, chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Resources Division, told lakeallatoona.com.
Tucker told the website that he used a Mepps spinner to land the fish. Bowfin, which can be identified by their long dorsal and rounded tail fins, typically live in warm waters with low amounts of oxygen. Nearby state records for bowfin include: 19 pounds (Florida); 21 pounds, 8 ounces (South Carolina); and 18 pounds, 6 ounces (Alabama).