FishRook
A North County angler has tied the New York State record for a pumpkinseed – a panfish.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation this week announced that Jordan Tontarski, who caught the fish last winter in Jefferson County, tied a record set 25 years ago for a pumpkinseed, which is a species of sunfish. For more on sunfish, see the DEC website.
Tontarski landed the pumpkinseed on Jan. 26 while ice fishing on the Black River near Watertown. He caught using a jig tipped with a spike.
According to the DEC, “He had a feeling his catch would be a contender in the New York State Winter Classic Fishing Tournament and brought the fish to Chaumont Hardware for an official weigh-in.
“It came in at 1 lb. 9 oz., with physical features of both pumpkinseed and the bluegill sunfish species.”
Tontarski brought the fish to DEC’s Region 6 Office for biologists to examine, but the verdict remained inconclusive. Seeking a final answer, he drove his fish to Albany for identification by…
