FishRook
The ninth state record fish was recorded in late July, and it was one of the more rare catches for Missouri.
Carlin Allison, of Doniphan, was catfishing on the Current River July 26 when he reeled in a eel weighing six pounds and 15 ounces using his pole-and-line, according to Missouri Department of Conservation.
Using skipjack bait, Allison said he thought he was pulling in a catfish.
“My buddy and I were out at about 3 that morning, so it was dark outside and I couldn’t see that well, but it put up one heck of a fight,” Allison said.
More:St. Louis teen beats dad’s state record after catching 5-ounce longear sunfish
After discovering an eel at the end of the line, Allison was about to cut it free when his friend intervened.
“I didn’t know what to do with it, but my buddy stopped me and said, ‘Hey, that’s a big eel, hold on,’” Allison said. “Sure enough, we looked it up online and it was obvious it was bigger than what was listed.”
The eel was weighed on a certified…
