Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Ed Carter, Executive Director

NEW STATE RECORD RIVER REDHORSE CAUGHT

Aa new state fishing record for the river redhorse has been established by a Gatlinburg man while fishing on the Middle Prong of the Pigeon River in Sevier County.

David H. Ray is the latest entry into the Tennessee Angling Records as the result of his 11 lbs., 10 oz. trophy that was caught in the mid-afternoon on May 2. The fish was 33-inches long. The catch came about 200-yards upstream of the Middle Prong of the Pigeon River’s convergence with the West Prong of the Pigeon.

Ray used a trout magnet on a 3 weight fly line with 4-pound tippet on an 8-foot fly rod to land his trophy. The new record surpasses the mark of 11-pounds that was held by Cliff Crowell for just over 16-years. Crowell’s river redhorse was caught on the Duck River on April 6, 1993.

The criteria to be considered for a state record fish along with the new record application and instructions, state records and fishing license information are in the 2009 TWRA Tennessee Fishing Guide. Information is also available on the TWRA Web site at by clicking on “For Anglers” located on the left side of the home page.

PFD’S REQUIRED TO BE WORN BY AGES 12 AND UNDER

If a boat is not docked or tied to a fixed object, then any passenger under 13 is required to wear a PFD (life jacket). A boat does not have to be under the power for the law to apply. It applies even if the boat is just drifting.

Young boaters that are in a cabin or enclosed area aren’t required to wear a PFD. The PFD law has been required several years by TWRA, but is now also a nationwide U.S. Coast Guard law.