Steed Takes New Satilla Redbreast Record

When Will Steed, of Hortense, headed for the Satilla River after work on April 26, little did he know he was on course for a head-on collision with fate and the fish of a lifetime.

“Me and my son Carter got to the river around 5:30 and started bass fishing,” said Will. “The bass were biting pretty good. We had a 6-pounder in the livewell that we were holding to get a picture of.” 

Will Steed and his son Carter with the new Satilla River redbreast record.

 After about an hour of fishing, at around 6:30 p.m., Will unknowingly was about to make the cast of a lifetime.

“Carter was fishing in the front of the boat, and he was running the trolling motor,” said Will. “A little slough was dumping into the river, and I asked if he had thrown way back into it. He told me a log was in his way so he couldn’t get it way back in there.”

Message In A Bottle Found On Satilla River

Will fired his 3/8-oz. buzzbait deep into the shady slough and began to retrieve it. Right as he brought it into the channel, a fish slammed it as it disappeared from sight.

“I thought it was a pretty good bass until I saw that flash of red. Right then I knew I had a big rooster on the line,” said Will. 

He fought the fish, not an easy task even with heavy line and baitcasting gear, and finally managed to get it in the boat. As soon as he brought it aboard, he put it on a ruler.

“I told Carter that I thought we had the record, that we had to get this fish to the hill,” said Will.

Will took the fish to the Hortense Post Office where it was weighed on scales that had been calibrated earlier that morning.

The massive redbreast pushed the scales down to an impressive 1-lb., 7.2-ozs, beating the old record of 1-lb., 5.92-ozs. set back in 2015.

“I’ve been chasing that fish my whole life,” said Will. “I started getting really serious about trying to break the record back in 2015, and I’ve come close a few times since then, but I wondered if I’d ever get him. Having my son in the boat with me when I caught him made it that much more special.”

Fishing The Satilla River

When asked if Will thought the record would be broken again anytime soon, he said, “Absolutely, maybe even today. I feel like the state record is in the Satilla River, and I’m gonna keep trying to get him,” he said.

The state-record redbreast of 1-1lb., 11-ozs. and was caught by Emory Walden in a Coweta County pond in 1998.

Satilla River Records

See all of GON’s official Georgia Lake & River Records here.

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, who must be willing to provide their names and phone numbers so they can be contacted to verify the weighing of the fish.

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