Second biggest bighead carp bagged

Illinois Bowfishers member Darin Opel shot a 92.5-pound bighead carp, apparently the second biggest bighead documented in the United States, from the Mississippi River near Alton on Sunday, May 4.

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USGS scientist Duane Chapman found only one bigger bighead in the United States, and only a couple in the world: “I only know of one larger fish captured in the USA, from a lake in N. Texas. It was, apparently, 93 pounds. There is a bighead carp over 100 pounds in a museum in Pakistan, and Fauna Sinica makes mention of a fish of greater than 45 kg, which would be right at the hundred pound range.”

Christine Appleberg gave these details of the fish: “He had it weighed on a certified scale in front of witnesses. It’s an amazing 92.5 lbs. It measures 62″ long with a 30″ girth. (Darin is 6’4″ and weighs 300 lbs).”

Illinois does not keep bowfishing records. Those records exist at the club level. Appleberg gave this perspective: “The previous IL record for an Illinois Bowfishers club member was 35 lbs. The previous BAA record was 85 lbs.”

For Illinois Bowfishers info, go here.

The News-Democrat has an extended story here.