ARTHAGE, Mo. —
A Carthage, Missouri, man broke the state record for hybrid striped bass, after catching a 21-pound, 11-ounce fish May 19 at Lake of the Ozarks.
The Missouri Department of Conservation said Cesar Rodriguez used the pole-and-line method to catch the record-breaking fish.
The fish breaks Missouri's previous hybrid-striped-bass record of a 20-pound, 8-ounce fish, set in 1986 at the Lake of the Ozarks. Rodriguez said he wasn't surprised when he reeled in the bass.
"It was just a normal day out fishing," Rodriguez said. "Last year I caught a 24-pound hybrid in Oklahoma, but I couldn't find a game warden to confirm it. So, this catch didn't come as a surprise that it was a record-breaker."
The fish's weight was verified on a certified scale at MDC's Roaring River Hatchery in Cassville. The hybrid striped bass is the sixth state record fish caught this year.
More from NBC News: https://www.kcra.com/article/missouri-a ... s/27813380
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