Earlier this week, Allan Ranson of Strike King Lure Company sent me a picture of a “strange-looking bluegill” that was caught in California on one of Strike King’s swim baits.

The “bluegill” was actually a green sunfish - and it was easily the biggest one I’ve ever seen. It measured more than 11 inches and weighed exactly 2 pounds.

It would have been the new California state record if the angler had gone through all of the proper channels to certify it. Instead, he just took some photos and released it back into his pond.

That happens a lot these days. People catch fish they don’t recognize, and they fail to realize they have a chance to enter their names in the record book.

If you’re fishing in the Mid-South, I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with the records for your respective state.

You can find them at these links:

Arkansas

Mississippi

Tennessee