Dante Piraino of Baldwinsville smashed the existing record when he reeled in a 9 pound smallmouth bass from the St. Lawrence River while fishing in a bass tournament out of Ogdensburg on September 22nd.
The massive smallie was caught in 30 feet of water on a soft plastic minnow imitation. The fish was released back into the river after the official weigh-in. The record-breaking fish surpassed the previous state record caught from Cayuga Lake in 2022 by eight ounces.
Smallmouth bass can be found across the state in cooler lakes, rivers, and creeks in rocky/gravelly areas. Aside from the St. Lawrence River, some of the best smallmouth bass waters in New York include Lake Erie/Upper Niagara River, Lake Champlain, Cayuga Lake, Oneida Lake, and Chautauqua Lake. Lake George, Mohawk River, Susquehanna River, Lower Niagara River, and Keuka Lake.
The new smallmouth bass record comes only a few months after a new state record for largemouth bass was set on July 11, 2024. James Britenbaugh of Pennsylvania reeled in the record-breaking 12-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass from Cayuga Lake, Cayuga County.
Earlier this year, a new state record for longnose gar was set. On June 21, 2024, Chuck Zimmerman of Hilton, Monroe County, reeled in a 15-pound, 14-ounce longnose gar from Butterfield Lake, Jefferson County.
Photo of Dante Piraino with state record nine pound smallouth bass provided by DEC.
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