Fisherman Reels In Record Tying Smallmouth Bass From St Lawrence River

Patrick Hildenbrand has tied a state record after catching a smallmouth bass from the St. Lawrence River. 

The Poughkeepsie fisherman reeled in his record-tying catch during a Bass Tournament. The fish originally weighed in at 8.15 pounds but after tournament scales were recertified, Hildenbrand's catch came in at 8 .bs. 4 oz., tying the state smallmouth record set in 1995 by Andrew Kartesz, according to The Bass Federation in New York.

The fish measured 21 ½” long and had a girth of 20 ¾” around. After weighing, measuring, and photographing the fish, it was successfully released back into the river.

Hildenbrand has been fishing his entire but has never reeled in anything this big. "When I first set the hook on it I knew it was big because it didn't move much," says Hildenbrand. "Once I got it to the surface I could see how big she was. She surfaced a few more times but every time she was near the boat it would dive back down. When I finally got it in the boat I couldn't believe how big it was. I have caught a bunch of big fish before but never one that was 8.4. "

12 of the 45 state records have come out of the Great Lakes according to the DEC. The St. Lawrence River/Thousand Islands area is particularly well known for its outstanding smallmouth bass fishery. Check out the list of all the record breakers in NYS.

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