What a catch: Cayuga Lake angler breaks state smallmouth bass record

I’m not likely ever to catch a New York record fish.

Neither are you, even if you work very hard at it.

I mean, what are the odds? There a millions of anglers in the state, and something like three dozen record categories.

Still, you never know what might show up on the end of the line. Every now and then someone does catch a record. It’s happened twice already this year.

The latest is an 8-pound, 6-ounce smallmouth bass caught in Cayuga Lake by Thomas Russell Jr. of Albion.

The massive smallmouth was two ounces heavier than the previous mark, a tie between fish caught in Lake Erie in 1995 and the St. Lawrence River in 2016. The length was not recorded before the fish was released back into the lake, but large smallmouths are chunky, so a guess of 24 inches probably is in the ballpark.

According to Buffalo News outdoor writer Bill Hilts Jr., Russell caught the monster while fishing in a Finger Lakes Trail Open Bass Tournament with his cousin, Eric Sullivan. They won the event with a five-fish total weight of 30 pounds, 15 ounces. That means the other four fish averaged 4 pounds, which is extremely impressive in itself. Four-pound smallmouths are not everyday fish.

Russell said he was using a Berkley MaxScent flatnose minnow on a drop-shot rig on 12-pound test line when the fish hit in eight to 10 feet of water about 11 a.m.  He and Sullivan earned $1,850 for the win, their first on the tournament trail.

Outdoors: Things you don’t need on the water and the field

I’ve never fished Cayuga Lake and had never thought of it as a smallmouth hot spot, but tournament organizer Rob Aftuck told Steve Featherstone of syracuse.com that the lake is full of baitfish right now – alewives, sawbellies, and gobies – and that smorgasbord surely plays a role. There are few things that will grow bass bigger and faster than round gobies, an invasive European fish has some negative impact as well.

The other record set this year was a 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish caught May 8 by Bailey Williams of Watertown in the Black River.

Catching a record fish might be every angler’s dream, but after a few years, or 50, most of us realize it just isn’t going to happen. You can work very hard at it, developing your techniques and fishing places that have a reputation for big fish of a particular species, but there is a huge dose of pure luck involved, as well. Plus, any time a record is established, a new mark becomes more difficult to obtain.

Here are several other things to keep in mind:

You can be a very good angler and set a record, but you also can be a very ordinary angler and set a record. It can be kind of like getting hole in one on a skulled shot. It’s not necessarily evidence of excellence.

If you do catch a record – or kill a very large buck, for that matter – some people are going to talk about you, and not in a nice way. Like, you cheated, or you had it improperly weighed, or you bought it, or you did something or other.

The other thing is that you might get sick of talking about it. I know of a couple of former state record holders who felt exactly that way.

Russell’s record smallmouth was certified through the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Angler Achievement Program, which highlights outstanding catches through the year. Fish do not have to be records to qualify. Information on the program is available at dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7727.html.

A list of New York State fish records, and a photo of Russell’s huge smallmouth, are available at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7727.html. Some of the marks  – like Peter Dubuc’s 46-pound, 2-ounce northern pike (1940) and Arthur Lawton’s 69-pound, 15-ounce muskellunge (1957) – have been on the books forever and seem unlikely to be broken. Others have been bested several times in the last decade.  You never know.

Write to John Pitarresi at 60 Pearl St., New Hartford, N.Y. 13413 or jcpitarresi41@gmail.com or call him at 315-724-5266.

Notebook

Whitesboro youngster scores with big fish

Jacob Murray of Whitesboro hasn’t landed a record fish yet, but he seems to be on his way.

Jacob, 9, was fishing with his grandfather, Michael Worn of Yorkville the Wrightsville Beach area of North Carolina when he pulled in a 43-inch, 30-pound red drum, also known as a redfish.

Jacob has fished plenty in Forestport Pond and other waters up this way, but this was special. It was first time fishing the ocean. He used a Big Nic jig while fishing near a shipwreck with Captain Jaime Rushing of Seagate Charters. His grandfather had to hold on to him by the waist during the 20-minute fight.

Jacob has had more recent adventures, too, including a trip to Sandy Pond that resulted in a big day, which included some very nice largemouth bass. His grandmother, Renee Worn, said this experience has made him a “lifer,” which is, we think, a good thing.

Youth fishing booklet available

For the third straight year CNY Youth Fishing Educators will be unable to hold their annual fishing derby because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, they they have reprinted their angling educational booklet, “Let’s Go Fishing,” which contains 31 very good fishing tips, artwork, and a number of good locations to try. It is set up for children and their parents to read, follow the tips, and have a safe, fun, and positive family activity.

The booklet is dedicated to the memory of Dr. John F. Millett and his wife, Marge. Dr. Millett was the founder of the original Utica Kiwanis “Take A Kid Fishing Day” at Graffenburg Reservoir in the early 1980s. CNY Youth Fishing Educators seek to promote his philosophies of safe and ethical angling for youth and parents.

The free booklets will be available at Blake’s Baits & Tackle Shop in Ilion; Sitrin Health Care Center; Root Farm in Sauquoit; Utica Parkway Recreation Center, and  Cooperative Extension of Oneida County in Oriskany. Also, Camp Nazareth will have copies for their young campers. Digital and print copies can be requested by e- mail fishingtips2021@yahoo.com .

Please pick up after yourself

A friend recently was fishing at Lake Moraine when he noticed an older gentleman picking up trash around the boat launch by the causeway.

The man collected a big bag of junk – bait containers, cans, discarded clothing – and carried it away.

After a few hours fishing, my friend returned to the launch. Quite a few people were fishing in the area, and, yes, there was more discarded stuff all around.

Why?

Part of the outdoor experience is enjoying the beautiful surroundings you find yourself in. Why turn the great outdoors into a garbage dump? It takes minimal effort to clean up after yourself.  Almost none.

Please, everyone: Respect the outdoors. Don’t leave a trail of junk behind you.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Cayuga Lake angler breaks New York smallmouth bass record