A Florida woman established a new Florida freshwater fishing record earlier this month with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Twila Gates caught a 1.35-pound, 5.6-ounce flier on May 9 at a Jackson County pond, beating the old record of 1.24 pounds.
It had a total length of 12 inches and a girth of 11.8 inches.
The previous state record came from Lake Lamonia near Tallahassee in 1992.
If Gates’ flier is submitted to the International Game Fish Association, it also could become the new world record. Anglers from North Carolina and Georgia jointly held the previous world record with a pair of 1-pound, 4-ounce submissions.
Fliers are probably one of the lesser-known freshwater fish in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They are native and typically found in somewhat heavily vegetated ponds and backwater sloughs.
