27 New Fish Added To Georgia Lake & River Records

In the past year, we’ve added 27 fish to GON’s Georgia Lake and River Records list, up from the 17 fish we added in 2019 and 21 fish that were added in 2018.

Part of that increase is an effort to establish ‘benchmark’ records for new lakes and rivers, and for some species of fish where no records have ever existed. These benchmark records set a bar that we expert to be broken. Decades down the road it will have helped establish a solid database of the best fish ever verified from all of Georgia’s major lakes and rivers.

Real Time Records

The increase in angler participation could also be due to last year’s release of GON’s Georgia Lake and River Records in a real-time, online format.

Now, if you catch a big catfish in the middle of the night, you’d don’t have to wait until GON opens at 8:30 to call and find out the current record. Simply go to www.gon.com/fishing/georgia-lake-river-records, and check it out. Many of the online records include photos and stories about the record fish and the anglers who caught them.

If you have a fish that you believe to be a new record, refer to the instructions below on how to get your fish certified and recognized in GON’s records.

On March 8, 2019, Mike Bradford, of Douglasville, caught this West Point striper that weighed 36.17 pounds, breaking the old record by more than a half pound. Click here for the full story.

Requirements For Record Fish

• Fish must be caught legally by rod and reel in a manner consistent with state game and 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. Click here to find a WRD Fisheries office near you. 

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