Oklahomans who aspire to catch a record-size sunfish might want to visit their nearest farm pond.
Cord Smith, a 16-year-old from Cheyenne, is the new record holder after reeling a 2-pound, 5.6-ounce sunfish on from a one-acre pond in Roger Mills County.
His April 10 catch shatters the previous state record, 2 pounds, 1.25 ounces, established at a different farm pond in 1973.
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According to Field & Stream, Smith was casting plastic lures after school with classmate Jacob Suarez when the massive sunfish struck.
Both anglers realized they might have netted a state record sunfish, so they kept the fish alive in a bucket until they could have it weighed on a certified scale at a Cheyenne market.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation certified the record on April 25, stating on Facebook: “Well done young man!”
The catch was a surprise because redear sunfish, also called shellcrackers, typically favor natural baits.
For comparison, the world record for redear sunfish is 6 pounds 4 ounces. That catch occurred May 4, 2021, at Lake Havasu, Arizona.
