The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulated Tim Stillings of Morrisville for catching a 7-pound, 8-ounce walleye from the Sac River. Stillings caught the fish May 16 using a trotline. His record breaks the previous alternative methods record of 6-pounds, 14-ounces set in 2018.
"We run trotlines for catfish," Stillings explained. "It's somewhat of a dying art. A lot of people don't do it anymore. But this was the first walleye we've caught on a trotline, and it happened to be a state record."
Stillings said he considers this record a joint accomplishment with his friend, Jake Myers.
"Running trotlines is a lot of work," he said. "Jake was the one who suggested that it could be a state record. I didn't realize they had separate records for alternative methods."
MDC staff verified the fish's weight on a certified scale in Bolivar. This is the third state record fish caught in 2022.
Stillings said he filleted and froze the fish for eating but plans to have a replica made.
"For those who ask where I caught it, right in the mouth," he laughed.
Missouri state record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, gig, bow, crossbow, underwater spearfishing, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or atlatl.
For more information on state record fish, visit http://bit.ly/2efq1vl.
Categories: Missouri, Rural Lifestyle