Greg Gasiciel with his state-record smallmouth bass (Oct 2015)The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a new state-record catch for smallmouth bass. This marks the sixth state-record fish caught so far in 2015.
The existing state record for smallmouth bass was broken Sunday by Greg Gasiciel of Rhodes, Michigan. Gasiciel was bait-casting with a green grub when he landed a 9.33-pound, 24.50-inch smallmouth bass from Hubbard Lake in Alcona County.
The record was verified by Kathrin Schrouder, a DNR fisheries biologist in Bay City.
“This is additional evidence that Michigan truly has world-class bass fisheries,” said Jim Dexter, Department of Natural Resources Fisheries chief. “Smallmouth bass is one of the most popular, most sought-after sportfish in North America. Even though the Michigan state record stood for more than 100 years, we’re excited to see the bar set even higher for those who set out to land this iconic fish.”
The previous state record for smallmouth bass was set back in 1906 with a 9.25-pound, 27.25-inch fish taken from Long Lake in Cheboygan County. Records show this fish was caught by W.F. Shoemaker.
State records are recognized by weight only. To qualify for a state record, fish must exceed the current listed state-record weight and identification must be verified by a DNR fisheries biologist.
For more information on fishing in Michigan, including other state-record catches, visit michigan.gov/fishing.
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Greg Gasiciel of Rhodes, Michigan, recently set a new state-record catch for smallmouth bass with a fish he caught Sunday on Hubbard Lake in Alcona County./
