Two New Record Fish

Two record fish have been caught in Idaho this summer. Cliff Watts of Weiser caught a white crappie on July 9 in the Crane Creek Reservoir. The fish was 3 pounds, 8 3/4 ounces, 18 1/4 inches long with a 15 inch girth. He caught the record breaker with a one-eight-ounce red and white squid-tail tail jig on a six pound test line. The previous record white crappie was a 3-pound, 1-ounce 17-incher caught on a worm in the Crane Creek Reservoir in May 2001 by Leslie Greenwood of Council. The world record white crappie is 5 pounds, 3 ounces. And this one won't fit in the cooler. Darin Patterson of Lewiston caught a grass carp on June 9, in the Snake River at Hells Gate Marina. The giant fish was 39 pounds, 42 1/2 inches long and 26 1/2 inches around. He caught the leviathan with a worm on a 10 pound test line. Idaho records don't include grass carp. Until this year, the biggest carp of any kind on the record was 37 1/2 pounds, 44 inches long with a 25 1/2 inch girth. It was caught in Brownlee Reservoir by Jere Bower of Boise in June 1988 on a Shad Rap with 12-pound test line. In 2004, an Arkansas angler caught an 80 pound grass carp.