We were motivated to compile this list of state-record bluegills for a couple of reasons. Curiosity, for one. We simply wanted to see which states boasted the slabbiest of slabs, how long ago the oldest records were caught, or how recently the newest ones were landed. We’d be lying, though, if we said we weren’t also motivated by the hope of gleaning some big-fish intel—that is, after gathering all this information, seeing if some patterns emerged. Sure enough, a few did.
For instance, in the 37 states that list the month in which their record bluegill was caught, nearly half were from May and June—when bluegills spawn. And in the states that list the bait their record was caught on, the most common culprit was a worm. The most popular type of water where these records were caught? A pond. Finally, only three state--record slabs weighed less than a pound.
Read Next: The Biggest Crappie of All Time
So if you’re eager to get into the record book, you could do worse than plan a trip to Maine, South Dakota, or Hawaii in May or June, stop at the nearest bait shop to buy a fresh carton of worms, and head to the nearest public pond. Oh, and in case you're wondering: We saved the best (and biggest) for last...
Wyoming
State Slab: 1 lb. 14.72 oz.
Date: July 26, 2008
Angler: Rod Horsely
Location: Stock pond, Niobrara County
Wisconsin
State Slab: 2 lb. 9.8 oz.
Date: August 2, 1995
Angler: Not listed
Location: Green Bay
West Virginia
State Slab: 2 lb. 12 oz.
Year: 1986
Angler: Mark Allen Lewis
Location: Not listed
Washington
State Slab: 2 lb. 5.28 oz.
Date: June 10, 1984
Angler: Ron Hinote Location: Tampico Park Pond
Wyoming
State Slab: 1 lb. 14.72 oz.
Date: July 26, 2008
Angler: Rod Horsely
Location: Stock pond, Niobrara County
Wisconsin
State Slab: 2 lb. 9.8 oz.
Date: August 2, 1995
Angler: Not listed
Location: Green Bay
West Virginia
State Slab: 2 lb. 12 oz.
Year: 1986
Angler: Mark Allen Lewis
Location: Not listed
Washington
State Slab: 2 lb. 5.28 oz.
Date: June 10, 1984
Angler: Ron Hinote
Location: Tampico Park Pond
Virginia
State Slab: 4 lb. 8 oz.
Date: February 7, 1970
Angler: Thomas E. Jones
Location: Private pond
Vermont
State Slab: 1 lb. 15.7 oz.
Date: August 29, 2016
Angler: John Konya
Location: Miller Pond
Utah
State Slab: 2 lb. 7 oz.
Year: 1993
Angler: Jack Rask
Location: Mantua Reservoir
Texas
State Slab: 2 lb. 0.32 oz.
Date: November 21, 1999
Angler: Gibbs Milliken
Location: Lampasas River
Tennessee
State Slab: 3 lb. (tie)
Dates: June 27, 1977 December 19, 1987
Anglers: Thelma Grissom Brad Pendergrass
Locations: Fall Creek Farm pond, Bledsoe County
South Dakota
State Slab: 8 oz.
Date: September 13, 2009
Angler: Jeff Vilhauer
Location: Lake Oahe
South Carolina
State Slab: 3 lb. 4 oz.
Year: 1973
Angler: J.P. Hegler
Location: Lancaster County
Rhode Island
State Slab: 2 lb. 1 oz.
Date: August 1987
Angler: C. Rizzo
Location: Not listed
Pennsylvania
State Slab: 2 lb. 9 oz.
Year: 1983
Angler: Tom Twincheck
Location: Keystone Lake
Oregon
State Slab: 2 lb. 5.5 oz.
Year: 1981
Angler: Wayne Elmore
Location: Farm pond
Oklahoma
State Slab: 2 lb. 6.4 oz.
Date: May 8, 1987
Angler: Tom Shorter
Location: Pond, Kay County
Ohio
State Slab: 3 lb. 4.5 oz.
Date: April 28, 1990
Angler: Willis D. Nicholes
Location: Salt Fork Reservoir
North Dakota
State Slab: 2 lb. 12 oz.
Date: October 17, 1963
Angler: Budd Hystad
Location: Strawberry Lake
North Carolina
State Slab: 4 lb. 5 oz.
Date: July 27, 1967
Angler: Danny Case
Location: Not listed
New York
State Slab: 2 lb. 8 oz.
Date: August 3, 1992
Angler: Devin VanZandt
Location: Kohlbach Pond
New Mexico
State Slab: 3 lb. 1.5 oz.
Year: 1963
Angler: Thomas Smith
Location: Lovington Lake
New Jersey
State Slab: 3 lb.
Year: 1990
Angler: Dom Santarelli
Location: Farm pond
New Hampshire
State Slab: 2 lb. 0.64 oz.
Date: June 18, 1992
Angler: Justin S. Therieau
Location: Goodwins Pond
Nevada
State Slab: 3 lb. 10 oz.
Year: 2010
Angler: Mike Tahash
Location: Colorado River
Nebraska
State Slab: 2 lb. 13 oz.
Date: April 26, 1977
Angler: Gary Ralston
Location: Grove Lake
Montana
State Slab: 2 lb. 10.24 oz.
Date: June 3, 1983
Angler: Brent Fladmo
Location: Peterson’s Stock Dam
Missouri
State Slab: 3 lb.
Date: June 8, 1963
Angler: Robert Michael Giovanini
Location: Farm pond
Mississippi
State Slab: 3 lb. 7 oz.
Date: February 2, 1995
Angler: Gerald Thurmond
Location: Farm pond
Minnesota
State Slab: 2 lb. 13 oz.
Year: 1984
Angler: Not listed
Location: Alice Lake
Michigan
State Slab: 2 lb. 12 oz.
Year: 1983
Angler: Not listed
Location: Vaughn Lake
Massachusetts
State Slab: 2 lb. 1 oz.
Year: 1982
Angler: Heather Bulger
Location: South Athol Pond
Maryland
State Slab: 3 lb. 6.4 oz.
Date: August 9, 1998
Angler: Sarah Brenneman
Location: Deep Creek Lake
Maine
State Slab: 15.28 oz.
Date: June 21, 2020
Angler: Michael Gibbs
Location: Murdock Lake
Louisiana
State Slab: 2 lb. 3.84 oz.
Date: May 30, 2022
Angler: Tim Trahan
Location: Private pond
Kentucky
State Slab: 4 lb. 3.04 oz.
Date: August 5, 1980
Angler: Phil Conyers
Location: Strip-mine lake
Kansas
State Slab: 2 lb. 4.96 oz.
Date: May 26, 1962
Angler: Robert Jefferies
Location: Farm pond
Iowa
State Slab: 3 lb. 1 oz.
Date: July 1, 1987
Angler: Phil Algreen
Location: Farm pond, Madison County
Indiana
State Slab: 3 lb. 4 oz.
Year: 1972
Angler: Harold L. Catey
Location: Pond, Greene County
Illinois
State Slab: 3 lb. 8 oz.
Date: May 10, 1987
Angler: Darren May
Location: Farm pond
Idaho
State Slab: 3 lb. 8 oz.
Year: 1966
Angler: Darrell Grim
Location: C.J. Strike Reservoir
Hawaii
State Slab: 8.5 oz.
Date: June 9, 2000
Angler: June Rae Maeda
Location: Lake Wilson
Georgia
State Slab: 3 lb. 5 oz.
Date: July 3, 1977
Angler: P.F. Gumm
Location: Shamrock Lake
Florida
State Slab: 2 lb. 15.25 oz.
Date: April 19, 1989
Angler: John LeMaster
Location: Crystal Lake
Delaware
State Slab: 2 lb. 10 oz. (tie)
Dates: June 10, 1998 April 29, 2001
Anglers: Arnold Harmon; Clifford Snyder
Location: Diamond Pond (both)
Connecticut
State Slab: 2 lb. 4 oz.
Year: 1996
Angler: Daniel Gesner
Location: Private pond
Colorado
State Slab: 2 lb. 9.5 oz.
Date: June 12, 2019
Angler: Gregory Wallace
Location: Totten Reservoir
California
State Slab: 3 lb. 14 oz.
Date: June 22, 2008
Angler: Michael Holoubek
Location: Rancho Murieta Reservoir
Arkansas
State Slab: 3 lb. 4 oz.
Date: August 7, 1998
Angler: Albert Sharp
Location: Fulton County
Arizona
State Slab: 3 lb. 15 oz.
Date: May 2, 2004
Angler: Christopher Ray Mapes
Location: Goldwater Lake
Alabama
State Slab: 4 lb. 12 oz.
Date: April 9, 1950
Angler: T.S. Hudson
Location: Ketona Lake
This story originally appeared in Vol. 139, No. 1 of the Field & Stream Journal.
