The WOG : employee newsletter of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, 04/2012

              W I L D L I F E • O • G R A M
Continued on next page.
Employee Newsletter of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
April 2012
There’s
something in the
water…. plenty of
state record bass,
that is! Last month,
anglers caught two
new state record
bass within eight
days of each other.
First, on
March 23, angler
Benny Williams
Jr. caught the
largest largemouth
bass ever documented in Oklahoma
waters. The fish weighed 14 lbs. 12.3
oz. Williams, of Poteau, was fishing at
LeFlore County Lake when he caught
the bass, which measured 26 inches
in length. He broke a record that had
stood since 1999.
Eight days later, Pocasset angler
Ryan Wasser caught a state-record
smallmouth bass that smashed the
previous record. His fish weighed 8 lbs.
7 oz., outweighing the previous 2006
record by four ounces. It measured
23 1/8 inches in length. Wasser was
fishing with family members at Lake
Lawtonka when the fish latched onto
his hook in less than five feet of water.
If it seems like March is a charmed
month for catching big bass, well,
that’s because it is. Currently all but
one of the Oklahoma state record
black bass in the books - which include
smallmouth, largemouth, spotted and
hybrid black bass - have been caught
during the month of March.
When anglers reel in a potential
state record fish, they contact the first
Department employee they can find.
Here are a few steps
to remember in that
situation.
First, verify the
angler has a valid
fishing license, then
find certified scales.
All fisheries regional
offices have certified
scales, so contacting
the nearest fish
division employee
can help locate
accurate scales.
Also, if the angler
has frozen the fish,
they must let it thaw
completely before
weighing.
Second, gather
witnesses (if the
angler’s friends and
family aren’t already
around.) State
record fish must
be weighed in the
presence of at least
three witnesses,
one of which must
be a Department
employee.
Third, if the fish
breaks a record,
congratulate the
angler but remind
them they must
preserve the fish until they receive an
official letter of verification from the
Director.
Fourth, fill out an affidavit form
from Fish division and take pictures of
CONTENTS
M-4 Training...................................2
Commission Summary ��������������������3
New Faces / New Places �4
Expo 2011 Survey..........................5
Reelin’ In the Years ������������������������6
Ben Davis
Information
Specialist
Memorable March for Anglers
Top, angler Benny Williams and game warden James Williams (LE) show off
the state record largemouth bass. Photo by Don Groom. Bottom, angler Ryan
Wasser holds up the state record smallmouth bass. Photo by Ryan Ryswyck.