Break a record! Every young kid in life probably spends time daydreaming about breaking a record of some kind. Track, football, baseball, basketball, you name it. We all dream about it at one time or another.
Being an avid bass fisherman, my dream even as a kid was to catch a bass that would break George Perry’s largemouth bass world record of 22 lb-4 oz that’s been around since 1932. I’m not quite sure that records are made to be broken, but they are made with the person setting it hoping that it lasts for a while.
One hot summer day in June found the Menard family heading out of port from Grand Isle for what’s become somewhat of a tradition. They would be fishing for three days, taking part in the 2013 “Fishing for Memories” Rodeo that supports the Alzheimer’s Association. They would be fishing aboard the Nauti-or-Knot family boat captained by dad and skipper, Dennis Menard.
This blended, Vermillion-parish family has grown together the past few years while fishing and getting the kids involved. The five kids aged from 13 to 18 have grown to love one another while on a fishing boat.
The Menards live on the Vermillion River which offers lots of fishing. They enjoy catching catfish on the river, but their passion rests on offshore angling. Mom, Amanda leads the way accompanying Dennis on every trip while the kids are developing a passion for the sport as well.
A few years back, as this crew began to fish offshore, the Louisiana state fish records piqued an interest they began to explore. A copy of the current records was kept on board, and eventually, applications were printed out and were stowed just in case they caught a fish that would qualify.
The pre-planning finally paid off as Amanda Menard would start the parade of records when she landed a 13.50-pound mangrove snapper that is still tied for eighth place in the state record book in June of 2011. Dennis’ daughter Jeanne boated a 7.11-pound blue runner that’s in the third spot in the records in June of 2012.
But nothing could have prepared this crew for what was to happen at the 2013 “Living for Memories” Rodeo. The next three days produced an onslaught of the Louisiana State Records that were nothing short of, well, one for the record books!
Thirteen-year-old Jeanne Menard added an eighth place blue runner to the books. Fifteen-year-old Jimmy Boothe took over first place with an 8.06-pound Bermuda chub, and fifteen-year-old Dennis Menard III inserted a sixth place chub that hit the scales at 6.33 pounds.
Amanda Menard put her name in for the second time with a third place yellowtail snapper that weighed in at 7.99 pounds, and Jeanne Menard once again hit the list with her third entry, a sixth place yellowtail snapper weighing 6.76 pounds. After the dust settled at the scales, the crew of the Nauti-or-Knot added five new records. The family total now stands at seven entries in the record books.
Besides the successes had on the fishing trips, they were very successful in getting the catches entered in the record book. The Menards educated themselves and took the time to meet all the requirements to register their fish for the state record book, kept by the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association.
Unfortunately not all cases turn out this way. More times than we like to see, folks don’t meet all the requirements needed to certify the catch. Their fish more times than not would qualify for a state record but because one or two steps are omitted on the application and the angler thought they did everything required, great disappointment takes place.
The latest case was a 212-pound Warsaw Grouper that was caught by one excited angler. He met all the requirements with the exception of having a biologist identify the fish. The request was to allow photo identification, but the rules specifically state a visual identification is required.
If you’re visiting Louisiana with a chartered fishing trip, most of our charter captains are familiar with the process. Many of the record holders in the book are from out of state because the charter captains are willing to help out an angler that may have caught a state-record fish.
If you are looking for a first rate connection to one of the top guides in south Louisiana, www.fishlcba.com would be the spot to hook up with one. The fishing in Louisiana is outstanding for all twelve months of the year, so the possibility of having a dream day on the water and catching a record fish is not out of reach. Take a little time to educate yourself and get familiar with the rules so you won’t miss out on a golden opportunity.
Here’s the Reader’s Digest version of how to do it. The listing of the records along with the applications is on our website at www.laoutdoorwriters.com under the records tab at the top of the home page. A printed hard copy must be filled out and mailed in to the address provided.
The name of the angler, species of fish, date and location of where the fish was caught along with the weight and length is first in line. Next, if the fish was caught offshore, the name of the boat, captain and the port where the boat landed is needed. The type of rod, reel, line, pound test along with bait used rounds this part off.
The scale is next. It can be done anywhere a certified, inspected-by-the-state scale is located. A grocery store, marina or even a seafood dock scale can be used. The location doesn’t matter as long as the scale is certified by the state. All that’s needed is where you weigh it, name and model, digital or standard scale along with the certification number and inspection date.
The applicant’s information is next. Then two witnesses need to sign and supply their info as well. The bottom of page one is reserved for the biologist’s documentation. This part takes the most effort. Most large marinas have someone around that knows who to call, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries can also be contacted.
If it’s on the weekend or after hours, the catch will have to be refrigerated or frozen until a biologist can be reached. If you are in the Grand Isle area or nearby, the Marine Lab has several biologists and can be reached at 985-787-2163. The biologists are very accommodating as this is part of their job; it just takes a little effort.
The records are separated by fresh water and salt water as well as rod and reel and fly rod. There is even a pond section for five species. Although, pond fish are not eligible for Fish of the Year as most are privately accessed.
Not all the categories have ten entries, so all one would need to do is catch one and enter the fish to qualify. Some are new categories and have very few entries, and none of the pond divisions are full.
