A fish like this only comes around once in a lifetime, or several lifetimes considering it is likely the new black crappie world record.
Lionel “Jam” Ferguson was fishing a private pond in Loudon County, Tennessee, near Knoxville, when he caught a verified 5-pound, 7.58-ounce crappie on May 15. The huge slab, which ate a Kalin’s Triple Threat grub in John Deere color, smashes the existing Tennessee state record of 4-pounds, 4-ounces. After DNA testing confirms it is indeed a black crappie, rather than a white crappie, it will eclipse the world record of 5-pounds.
Ferguson knew he had a special fish when he tossed it up on the bank on that fateful Tuesday. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) agreed. Anthony Chitwood, a Loudon County wildlife officer, met Ferguson and they took the fish to a nearby boat ramp. There, they weighed it on a set of certified scales used for bass tournaments. TWRA biologists later inspected the fish to determine it was indeed a black crappie. They took fin clippings for DNA analysis to remove all doubt.
Black or White Crappie World Record
Whether it’s a white crappie or black crappie, Ferguson’s fish will be a new world record. The 5-pound IGFA world record black crappie was caught from a private lake in Missouri in 2006. The IGFA world record white crappie was caught way back in 1957 in Mississippi. It weighed 5-pounds, 3-ounces.
To learn more about the crappie world record and other fish world records you can visit the IGFA