FishinPals Fishing Fellowship
7618 Noelsch Lane
Virginia, IL 62691
7618 Noelsch Lane
Virginia, IL 62691
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Giant Bluegill
April 23, 2000 'Bubba' bluegill weighs 5 pounds It's an unofficial world record because it was caught by hand and not by hook and line By DON INGLE - Special to the Record-Eagle ALAPAHA, Georgia - Wow! Talk about a "Bubba" panfish! A hybrid "bream" (that's bluegill to us Yankees) caught recently in a farm pond topped the world record for a hybrid bluegill. The fish weighed in at more than the current world record bream taken in 1950. The hybrid fish was an even 5-pounds, had a girth of 24-inches, a thickness of 3 «-inches, and was 15-inches long. Because it was caught by hand rather than on hook and line, it cannot be claimed as a world record for sportsfishing; but if it had been caught on a line it would indeed be the new world record. "World records are primarily kept for fish caught on rod and reel," said Ken Holyoak, of Ken's Hatchery and Fish Farms, Inc. in Alapaha, Georgia. "Since this fish was hand-captured by Kenneth Carver of Douglas, Georgia, when he drained his farm pond, it does not qualify for official world record status. "However," Holyoak said, "we have contacted many authorities to ascertain that this is the largest known specimen of a hybrid bream ever, making it an 'unofficial' world record." Holyoak's fish farm operation rears stocks for planting in fish ponds, farm ponds and private lakes, and his method of developing fast-growing fish has received a U.S. Patent. Holyoak's hybrid bream grow at a rate 300 times faster than the pure-strain species. Those following his pond management and feeding program can see their fish reach a size in six months than would take a pure strain fish 24 months to achieve. These new methods of fish rearing are giving rise to both a sports and commercial fishery for many species. But this program for rearing large panfish in record time to record sizes is catching the eye of many in the private fish hatchery world. A look at the picture of a youngster holding up the record "Bubba" Bluegill does more that catch your eye. It boggles it.
