The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) confirms Bill Babler of Blue Eye is now the new state-record holder for brown trout after catching a monster 40-pound, 6-ounce fish at Lake Taneycomo Sept. 4 using a pole-and-line.
The previous record was set just seven months ago by Paul Crews of Neosho. Crews was also fishing at Lake Taneycomo when he reeled in a 34-pound, 10-ounce brown trout Feb. 23 using a pole-and-line.
MDC staff verified Babler’s record-breaking catch on a certified scale in Branson.
Fisheries Management Biologist Shane Bush confirmed the fish was eight or nine-years-old.
Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: throwlines, trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl.