Record Fish Caught by Grand Rapids Man

WOW! Now that's the fish that DIDN'T get away!

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed a new state record last month for quillback carpsucker. This is the fifth state-record fish caught in 2014.Benjamine Frey of Grand Rapids the record holder now. Ben was fishing on the Hardy Dam Pond in Newaygo County Friday, Aug. 29, at 1:45 a.m. Frey was bow fishing, and, bam, he nailed it. The fish weighed 8.25 pounds and measured 22.62 inches.

The record was verified by Rich O’Neal, a DNR fisheries biologist in Muskegon.

The previous state-record quillback carpsucker was caught by Randy Bonter, Jr. of Grant, also on Hardy Dam Pond June 17, 2012. That fish weighed 8.12 pounds and measured 23 inches.

“2014 is shaping up to be quite a year for state-record catches as this fish is the fifth one we’ve confirmed,” said DNR Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter. “These records continue to show just how phenomenal Michigan’s fishing is, and there’s still plenty of time left in the season for other anglers to catch their own potential state record."

For more information on fishing in Michigan, including other state-record catches, visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.