North Dakota State Record Buffalo (Bowfishing)

Buffalo Fish | credit: USFWS

In May 2022, a bow fisherman from Bismarck set a new North Dakota bow/spear state record for bigmouth buffalo.

Mitch Estabrook took a 60-pound, 8 ounce buffalo by bow from Heart Butte Reservoir.

Estabrook's fish broke the previous record by 3 pounds, taken at Heart Butte Reservoir in 2017.

Buffalo are a native fish sometimes confused with nonnative and invasive common carp.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department records indicate that Estabrook’s fish is the largest weighed in the state that was not a paddlefish or pallid sturgeon.

Buffalo fish are identified by their heavyset bodies, large scales, and blue-green to bronze coloration.

They have relatively large, forward-opening mouth for a member of the sucker family.

Bigmouth buffalo are the largest member of the sucker family.

Buffalo are commonly mistaken for, but not related to common carp.

The species is not commonly caught by anglers, but are a primary target for those who bow fish.

Recent studies have shown bigmouth buffalo can live to very old ages, with some fish over 100 years old recently documented in neighboring Minnesota.

source: North Dakota Game and Fish Department

New York State Record Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced that on May 8, 2022, Bailey Williams of Watertown set a new State record for channel catfish.

Williams landed the 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish from the Black River in Jefferson County using cut bait while bottom fishing.

Williams' record-breaking catch surpassed the previous State record catfish, caught from Lake Ontario in 2017, by 9 ounces.

Channel catfish are the largest catfish that live in New York. They feed primarily on the bottom and are most often caught using live bait such as worms or baitfish. They can also be caught with artificial lures, especially soft plastics worked along channel edges or other bottom structure. 

Williams submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program, which tracks State-record fish.

Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and an embroidered patch commemorating their achievement.

The three Angler Achievement Awards categories are: Catch and Release, Annual Award, and State Record.

A photo of the new state record channel catfish can be found on the New York State Freshwater Fishing Records page of DEC's website. For more information about the Angler Achievement Awards Program, visit dec.ny.gov.

The Black River originates in the western Adirondacks and follows the divide between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack foothills to Carthage. The lower section of the river follows a wide curve to Watertown and then a gorge leading to Lake Ontario.

The stretch of the river around Watertown contains a variety of fish species and habitats ranging from riffles and pools to weedy backwaters. The lower Black River is popular with kayakers and other small craft enthusiasts.

Northern Snakehead Facts

 

Northern Snakehead

The northern snakehead is an invasive species of fish that has become established in parts of the USA. Once introduced into a watershed, these aggressive predators can spread quickly.

Northern Snakehead Facts

• The northern snakehead is Native to China, Russia, and Korea.
• Snakeheads often multiply quickly and grow rapidly in new environments.
• Hotspots in the USA include the Chesapeake Bay, New York, Pennsylvania, and Arkansas.
• Northern snakeheads often reach lengths of 30 inches or more and weigh in excess of 10 pounds.
• Northern snakeheads have 2 rows of sharp teeth; they can inflict painful wounds.
• Snakeheads have a coating of thick, foul-smelling slime.
• Northern snakeheads breed during the summer and may reproduce multiple times.
• Eggs are laid in a nest made of vegetation.
• Spawning pairs aggressively defend eggs and young.
• Adult snakeheads eat mainly minnows and other small fish.
• Large individuals also prey on adult fish and other wildlife. 
• The explosion of northern snakehead populations has led to entirely new sport fisheries.
• In some areas, snakeheads are taken by bowfishing or other alternative fishing methods.

Related Information

Pennsylvania Northern Snakeheads