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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Tyler Goodale of Doniphan for swiping the second state record fish of 2023 – an 11-ounce flier he caught March 26 from Duck Creek Conservation Area using the pole-and-line method. Goodale actually caught two record-worthy fliers that day, both identical in weight and length.
The previous Missouri record flier was a 10-ounce fish caught from a private pond back in 1991.
Fliers are a species of conservation concern in Missouri. Largest populations are found at Duck Creek Conservation Area and nearby Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, where extensive areas of standing-water habitat remain. Fliers prefer quiet, clear bodies of water with little current and considerable aquatic vegetation and mud bottom.
MDC staff verified the fishes’ weight using a certified scale in Wappapello.
This is the second state record Goodale has reeled in from Duck Creek Conservation Area. He caught a 5-pound, 4-ounce spotted sucker at Duck Creek in 2020 that also happens to be the current world record.
Learn more about fliers from MDC’s online Field Guide at https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/flier.
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.
