Arkansas River Redhorse Record Falls at Lake Ouachita

The Arkansas record for largest river redhorse caught on rod and reel is 8 pounds, 2 ounces, taken by D. Victor Waits of Summit Mo. Waits was fishing in the Spring River April 18, 2006, when he set the record.

Miles away in a completely different habitat, Asher Kight of Hot Springs used a bow to set the unrestricted tackle river redhorse record March 17.

Kight was bowfishing in western Lake Ouachita when he nailed a 9-pound, 1-ounce river redhorse. The fish was 27 inches long with a girth of 16¾ inches. It was weighed at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Andrew H. Hulsey State Fish Hatchery. The species was verified by Don Brader, AGFC assistant chief of fisheries, and its weight was verified by Kyle King, an AGFC natural resources program technician.

Arkansas unrestricted tackle records include all legal fishing means except rod and reel (conventional). To set an unrestricted tackle record, a fish must be larger than the conventional record.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plays an important role in keeping The Natural State true to its name. During the last 100 years, the agency has overseen the protection, conservation and preservation of various species of fish and wildlife in Arkansas. This is done through habitat management, fish stocking, hunting and fishing regulations, and a host of other programs.