Illinois State record smallie caught last night

[HEDDONFROG]

Edit 12:25 DNR Biologist has confirmed the fish.

One of the guys from our Facebook fishing group caught an officially weighed 7lb 3oz smallie on a ned rig around midnight. Do not listen to rumors floating everywhere. The fish is alive and kicking it back in a tank at Henry’s bait waiting for a DNR biologist to confirm. Option one is for Dale Bowman to video it’s live release. Option 2 since there’s a high probability of delayed mortality to have her taken in by the Shedd (she was caught by the Shedd, nice symbolism) or BPS/Cabelas. The guys have put in Herculean efforts to keep her alive and everything happened to fall into place with having big enough coolers, bubblers, de chlorination tablets, etc. the Illinois online fishing world is blowing up lol that’s what I know at 11:56am

[Aux Pleins]

Even though I'll never understand the whole point behind keeping fish records, I think it's really cool this smallie didn't come from a private club pit.

I vote to release it, bass pro or cabelas would be a death sentence. Lol

[HEDDONFROG]

Even though I'll never understand the whole point behind keeping fish records, I think it's really cool this smallie didn't come from a private club pit.

I vote to release it, bass pro or cabelas would be a death sentence. Lol

She’s being released tomorrow after getting the day spa treatment (slime coat) for the day/night at Henry’s

[Phil6]

Awesome fish and its great they kept it alive as long as they did, thought it was forsure a goner. Hope it lives another 10 years!

Also, hey Dave, charge your phone!

[jonny2can]

Cool.. just seen wired2fish post a article about it too.. shedd will be cool to put it in I think.

[DPMike]

WOW

[Boarder Collie]

It was released back into the lake. Guy really went the extra mile to keep it alive.

[Dr. Utssab]

Now I’m definitely never gonna stop hearing about that Ned rig!!!

[Woohoodude11]

Smallies do HORRIBLE in captivity. We were at the Shedd a couple weeks ago and in their huge native species tank I could only find one. About a year and a half ago, BPS Gurnee rearranged their tank to make a better environment for smallies and crappie. I think in the beginning they had something like 10 smallies in there and last time I was there I couldn't even find one. Even the crappie aren't very prominent. So to be released was the perfect way to go. There's video of the release on Dale's facebook page, too.

[Aux Pleins]

My favorite part of the story is they were fishing busse earlier that day in kayaks. And dude who caught the smallie dropped his rod in the water only to be fished out by a friend with a jig. With out that lucky jig snag of his sunken rod there would be no record.

[Lip_Yanker]

Quite the pig. Nice it made it back home.


.

[badger75]

NED rig and SMB - a winner! Awesome fish!