Withlacoochee River Suwannee Bass Record Broken Again

Tim Bonvechio, a WRD fisheries biologist, has the new Withlacoochee River record for Suwannee bass with this impressive 2-lb., 3.52-oz fish. It’s the second time in a year the record has been broken.

Suwannee bass are unique. With ranges in only two river systems in south Georgia, they have one of the smallest distributions of all of the black basses. They look sort of like a football with hints of smallmouth and shoal bass. They are their own species, but they do not get very big. Our Georgia state record is 3-lbs., 9-ozs. and was caught in the fall of 1984 from the Ochlockonee River, the less numerous of Georgia’s two populations. The biggest population in Georgia resides in the Withlacoochee River on the western edge of Valdosta.

On Sunday, Sept. 1, Tim Bonvechio caught the river record Suwannee bass. He made a day-trip to the small, blackwater river hoping to catch both Suwannee and largemouth. He fished for several hours with his favorite small plastic crayfish and caught two Suwannee bass and five largemouth before the hit that he will never forget.

Tim pitched his crayfish to a little eddy formed behind a blowdown tree and felt that telltale “tick” of a fish sucking in his lure. The fish surged, stripped drag and jumped before Tim knew exactly what was 30 feet away, separated by monofilament line that would break with 12 pounds of pressure. He was blown away when the hefty Suwannee finally came boatside. With a quick check on his Boga Grip, he knew he likely had a fish that would put him atop the list of all-time biggest certified Suwannee bass from that river. He promptly bagged the fish and ended the trip.

Back in Waycross, Don Harrison, a Georgia Wildlife Resources Division biologist, confirmed Tim’s suspicions and certified the fish as the new Withlacoochee River Suwannee bass record.  The fish measured 14 3/4 inches and pulled the scales down to 2-lbs., 3.52-ozs.

The fish beat the former river record, a 1-lb., 14.08-oz. fish caught less than a year ago by Craig James.

If ever there was a person destined for a record of a certain fish species, it was Tim Bonvechio for the Suwannee bass. Tim has worked with that rare species since his days of training in the shop of Dr. Mike Allen at the University of Florida. Tim studied many of the various Suwannee bass populations in Florida during his days at the University, as well as during his career with the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. Two of his most notable accomplishments on the species are working with his wife, Kim, to publish a standard weight equation for the species and helping with a harvest and movement study on the two Georgia populations. He has five publications on various metrics of Suwannee bass populations and individual fish and is one of the most knowledgeable biologists on the Suwannee bass.

If you want to catch a Suwannee bass, one of the potential species of the Georgia Black Bass Slam, the lower Withlacoochee River is your best bet to catch one. With its extremely limited range in Georgia, it is a great species to catch-photo-release. To target them, the best time is to fish when the river level is at base flow. With crayfish as their primary forage, using something that mimics the little crustaceans is a great option, but they will also chase minnow imitations like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits or jerkbaits.

GON’s Official Withlacoochee 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.

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