Missouri Angler Setting Arkansas Records

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – D. Victor Waits of Holts Summit, Mo., is making a career of setting state fish records in Arkansas.

He holds the state record for river redhorse (8 pounds, 2 ounces) and shovelnose sturgeon (5 pounds), both taken from the Spring River. He recently added golden redhorse and northern hog sucker – again from the Spring River.

The golden redhorse – 1 pound, 2 ounces – was enticed by worms May 27. The northern hog sucker, also 1 pound, 2 ounces, fell for worms, too. Both fish were caught upstream from Hardy, in the same spot where Waits landed the record sturgeon. D. Victor Waits of Holts Summit, Mo. holding his state record northern hog sucker.

Melissa Jones, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s coldwater coordinator in the Fisheries Bureau, identified both fish.

Both species are new to the list of state records. Waits pointed that out in a letter with his record applications. "Both were very important as a food source to many Ozark families, including my ancestors on the Spring River," Wait wrote. "The fish should be a recognized species. After a long winter, the fresh spring fish were a treat."

He continued with a few details.

"To most in the area, the golden redhorse is known as the yellow sucker on its spawning run into the creeks and on river shoals in the spring. I’ve been assured that its proper name is as listed on the application."