Ohoopee River Bream Fishing On Fire—New Bluegill Record Set

Dylan Durrence, of Collins, with the new Ohoopee River bluegill record.

A record is a record, whether you catch it on a cricket or some new-fangled bladed bait.

“I like to watch that cork,” said Dylan Durrence, the angler who just broke the new Ohoopee River bluegill record with a fish that weighed 1-lb. 7.52-ozs. on certified scales at Layne’s Sport Shop on Highway 280 in Tattnall County.

“The last couple of years have been hit and miss fishing in the Ohoopee. It has either been too high or too low. It has been hard to catch it right on the weekends especially,” said Dylan, of Collins.

After watching the river level all week, Dylan decided that Friday, April 26 was the day.

“The river level was going to be about right, even though I suspected the water temperature to still be a little cooler than optimal,” said Dylan. “Me and my father put in and headed up river to my favorite fishing hole.”

Dylan said he was fishing a stretch of the Ohoopee River in Tattnall County.

“The bite was slow going most of the time we were there,” said Dylan. “The record fish was one of probably 12 or 13 fish we caught in the four hours we fished, but you know what they say: ‘A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.’

“When I landed the big fish, I noticed he was pretty large, but he went into the cooler with the rest of them. It wasn’t until about six hours later that I decided the weigh him.”

What did the record fish bite? A cricket.

“Everyone who asks seems disappointed that he was caught on a cricket and not some fancy spinnerbait,” said Dylan.

Ohoopee River Bream Fishing On Fire

Within two hours of GON certifying Dylan’s brand-new record fish, the phone range. It was our friend Dale Williams. We met Dale in May 2022 when he set the bar for the Ohoopee River bluegill record with a panfish that weighed 1-lb., 2.56-ozs. This was the fish that Dylan had to beat for the new record, which he did.

“It’s Dale Williams… I caught another bluegill just a little bit bigger than my record.”

Well, it was a nice one, but it wasn’t enough to beat Dylan’s 1-lb. 7.52-ozs. fish. Dale said he was going to go back fishing.

The big message is the panfish are on fire right now in the Ohoopee River.

GON’s Official Ohoopee River Record Fish

Catch A Lake or River Record? Requirements For Record Fish

• Fish must be caught legally by rod and reel in a manner consistent with WRD fish regulations.

• Catch must be weighed on accurate Georgia DOA certified scales with at least two witnesses present.

• Witnesses to the weighing must be at least 18 years old, and they must not be members of the angler’s immediate family nor have a close personal relationship with the angler.

• Catch must be positively identified by qualified DNR personnel. GON can correspond with DNR when high-quality, multiple photos are taken of the fish and emailed to GON. All record submissions and photos must be sent to [email protected].

GON’s records are compiled and maintained by GON, to be awarded at GON’s discretion. Additional steps may be required for record consideration.