I'm Andy Strickland, I'm a fisheries biologist out of the Joe Budd field office in Quincy
Roscoe Holley is our angler today
I guess the first thing I wanted to ask you ... is tell me how things went ...
where'd you catch the fish, how did it go?
Out on the Ochlockonee River ... I was ... just out of the spur of the moment one evening I grabbed all of my stuff
and went down to the river. I wasn't even planning on going.
I had a tournament that next day and I didn't want to fish that evening
but anyway I went fishing.
I caught a couple of three or four pound largemouth
and about an hour before dark I got this bite
and about the time I got the bite I hit a log and like to threw me out of the boat.
And the fish was hung on a stump at the same time
and when I looked at where the fish was hung and I seen him rolling over I knew it was a Suwannee Bass.
It was a big Suwannee Bass ... I didn't have any idea it was as close to the record whatever.
And a friend of mine had just given me a brand new Bass Pro reel and rod
And when I seen the fish I hollered at my buddy to grab the net because I wasn't going to swing him into the boat
like I was doing the largemouth earlier. And then I found out what it was
and I thought about bringing him over here for people to look at him.
So your sister called me at nine o'clock at night on a Friday evening
and told me you caught this big fish ... she had texted me a couple of pictures
and I said I'm on my way. Met Mr. Holley at Joe Budd field office at ten o'clock at night on a Friday
It's pitch dark out there and got everything set up, saw the fish.
Certainly to me I thought it had a great shot of being what happens to be a world record.
Not just a state record. You know Florida holds the world record for Suwannee Bass.
We put it on certified scales and we just missed the record by about two and half ounces.
So just a heck of a fish ... we talked about what to do with the fish.
So we decided to contact Bass Pro and they were willing to take the fish on a donation.
So it worked out good, the fish made it through quarantine and come by here and see it in the tank anytime.
Mr. Holley I'm presenting you with a "Big Catch" certificate for the fish that you caught, three pounds twelve ounces
just two ounces shy of what is the world record for Suwannee Bass.
Thank you very much
The fish was sixteen and one half inches long.
It is quite an impressive fish. You know I've worked in Florida for about twelve years
and it's the biggest Suwannee bass I've ever seen wether it's sampling in the field or hook and line.
So now we've got the fish in the tank here at Bass Pro ... or we're putting the fish in the tank at Bass Pro
Most likely that fish in a matter of weeks or months that fish could be of world record size
when he puts on a few pounds ... (laughs)
My name is Bryan Claborn. I'm the Aquarist at Bass Pro Shops Tallahassee Florida.
Today we released a three pound twelve ounce Suwannee Bass.
Just two pounds shy ...excuse me, two ounces shy of the state record caught by Roscoe Holley.
I received a call a little over thirty days ago from Andy Strickland of FWC.
He contacted me about the fish, we accepted it at corporate then I received it here
put it in quarantine for thirty days, fifteen day medicated observed quarantine
and then a fifteen day observed quarantine.
During that time we did three biopsies just to check the health of the fish
make sure he didn't have any external parasites or anything affecting the health of the fish.
Today we released the fish. She's done very well. We'd like for you to come on down and take a look at her,
We feed her on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon and Saturdays at 2:00PM. We look forward to having you. Thank you.