JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Tyler Goodale of Doniphan for swiping the second state record fish of 2023 with an 11-ounce flier he caught March 26 from Duck Creek Conservation Area using the pole-and-line method. Goodale actually caught two record-worthy fliers that day, both identical in weight and length.
The previous Missouri record flier was a 10-ounce fish caught from a private pond back in 1991.
Fliers are a species of conservation concern in Missouri. Largest populations are found at Duck Creek Conservation Area and nearby Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, where extensive areas of standing-water habitat remain. Fliers prefer quiet, clear bodies of water with little current and considerable aquatic vegetation and mud bottom.
MDC staff verified the fishes’ weight using a certified scale in Wappapello.
This is the second state record Goodale has reeled in from Duck Creek Conservation Area. He caught a 5-pound, 4-ounce spotted sucker at Duck Creek in 2020 that also happens to be the current world record.
Learn more about fliers from MDC’s online Field Guide at by clicking here.
Missouri state record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, gig, bow, crossbow, underwater spearfishing, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or atlatl. For more information on state record fish, click here.
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