George Chance, a fisherman from Missouri, recently set a new world record by catching a bighead carp weighing 97 pounds on March 19th. Chance had been fishing from the bank when he hooked this record fish, using a crankbait to bounce it off the bottom. It took him around 20 minutes to land the fish, and he used a hay hook to pull it to shore.
At first, Chance believed the fish was between 50 and 60 pounds, but he was quickly convinced to contact a local conservationist to verify its size. To his surprise, the carp weighed much more than he had thought, setting not only a new state record but also a new world record. The previous world record bighead carp weighed in at 90 pounds.
Chance was shocked by the weight of the fish and expressed his surprise at catching such a large specimen. He had no idea that his day would be so successful when he woke up that morning. This catch sets the third state record fish in 2024 thus far.
Bighead carp are an invasive species from Asia, and the Missouri Department of Conservation encourages anglers to harvest any carp they catch. Chance stated that he chopped up the carp and added it to his garden for fertilization. He plans on eating the tomatoes and cucumbers that this garden produces in the coming weeks.
On the other hand, Sam Hanggi is an experienced fisherman who spent four years competing on the Auburn University Bass Fishing Team and pursuing a degree in Pre-Law. He has fished competitively all over the country and will continue to do so outside of Wired2fish. Sam’s favorite technique is throwing a big swimbait up shallow, and some of his favorite bodies of water are Saginaw Bay, St. Lawrence River, Clarks Hill, and the James River
