Twelve-year-old Catches Record Fish
Monster freshwater drum landed in Essex, NY. Photo by Dr. Roy Winkelman.
Twelve-year-old Amelia Whalen of Witherbee has some fish story today. She got the catch of her life on Lake Champlain, June 4 in Essex, NY when she landed a 36.5 inch, 29 pound 14 ounce freshwater drum. The fish was the largest drum ever caught in New York, topping the record set in 2014 by more than three pounds.
Freshwater drum, also referred to as "sheepshead," primarily dwell in large rivers and lakes. Their pronounced blunt head make them easily identifiable. With numerous small round teeth made for crushing, drum feed mostly on freshwater snails, clams and crayfish.
"It was a phenomenal memory that I'll always have reeling in the monstrous sheepshead that day," Amelia said. "I was unimaginably surprised when my dad told me that it was definitely going to break the record."
