Smallmouth buffalo record

            The last two state record smallmouth buffalo had been reeled out of the waters of Canton Lake near Watonga, but the lake’s streak was broken Aug. 15 when Marvin Williams of Noble shattered that record with his 44 lb., two ounce catch out of Konawa.
            Williams caught the giant smallmouth buffalo on a Tiny Fluke while using eight-pound testline. The previous record smallmouth buffalo weighed 38 pounds, 3.8 ounces and was caught by Rodney Meyer of Balko on just 12-pound testline.
            What makes Williams’ catch so unique is that he was actually fishing for white bass, and though he knew about smallmouth buffalo, he had never caught one previous to his state record catch.
            “I had seen them before, but I’d never caught one,” Williams said.
            The record fish was weighed on certified scales at the Oklahoma Fisheries Research Lab operated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
            “Normally, state records are broken by mere ounces,” said Barry Bolton, fisheries chief for the Wildlife Department. “This one blew the previous record out of the water!”
            For a complete list of record fish and the procedures regarding state record fish, consult the "Oklahoma Fishing Guide"  or log on to wildlifedepartment.com. If you think you may have hooked a record fish, it is important that you weigh the fish on an Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture certified scale and the weight is verified by a Wildlife Department employee.
 

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