Record Carp: Sandusky Bay

A new Ohio record carp taken by bowfishing has been certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee. The new state record carp, weighing 53.65 pounds, was caught by Patrick Johnson, of Toledo, in the Sandusky County portion of Lake Erie’s waters. Johnson shot the carp June 9, using a fish point tethered with 200-pound test Fast Flight line. Johnson’s record carp is 45 inches long and 32¼ inches in girth. His catch replaces the previous state bowfishing record carp that was shot in Sandusky Bay by Rich Cady on May 28, 2008, weighing 47.65 pounds and measuring 38 inches long. Ohio’s record fish are determined on the basis of weight only. The largest fish taken in Ohio was taken by rod and reel. It was a blue catfish taken from the Ohio River in 2009 by Chris Rolph. That fish was more than 54 inches in length and weighed in at 96 pounds. Ohio’s state record fish are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from fisheries biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Biologists from the Ohio Division of Wildlife District 2 office in Findlay confirmed the identification of Johnson’s catch. Bowfishing is a popular sport in Ohio and is often done at night, when carp and other rough fish, like freshwater drum, suckers, bowfin, gar and goldfish, run in to shallow water near shore to feed.