Georgia
Georgia angler ties state record with massive spotted sunfish catch
Wesley Daniels of Pearson shows off a spotted sunfish weighing 12 ounces he caught on April 15, 2025. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)
An Atkinson County angler has tied a Georgia state record with a catch from the Suwannee River.
Wesley Daniels of Pearson landed a spotted sunfish weighing 12 ounces on April 15, matching the current state record set in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). The fish measured 8¾ inches long.
What they’re saying:
“I was fishing for catfish, so the unusual thing was that he was caught on a piece of shrimp, and I thought it was a big catfish at first,” Daniels said. “When I pulled him into the boat, me and my friend just looked at each other because we had never seen a stumpknocker that big!”
“We are excited to have our first freshwater fish state record for 2025, and I don’t know about you – but that certainly fires me up to get out and get on the water,” said Scott Robinson, WRD Chief of Fisheries. “Who will catch the next state record? It could be you! Be sure to take advantage of the outstanding variety of angling opportunities all over our state and you just might catch one of your own. Let’s Go Fish Georgia!”
Wesley Daniels of Pearson shows off a spotted sunfish weighing 12 ounces he caught on April 15, 2025. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)
Dig deeper:
Spotted sunfish, also called “stumpknockers,” are known for their preference for stumps where they find food. They typically weigh less than half a pound and feature dark olive or brown backs, light green or olive sides with small black spots, and dusky orange fins. They are found in multiple river basins across Georgia, including the Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, Ogeechee, Ochlockonee, Suwannee, St. Mary’s, Satilla, and Savannah.
When fishing for spotted sunfish, the WRD recommends using worms, crickets, small spinners, flies, and popping bugs, especially in heavily vegetated, slow-moving streams and warm, shallow ponds.
Wesley Daniels of Pearson shows off a spotted sunfish weighing 12 ounces he caught on April 15, 2025. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources)
What you can do:
Georgia anglers help support fisheries conservation through license purchases, which fund research, public fishing areas, and other programs. Licenses can be purchased at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com.
The Source: The details in this article were provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
The Oklahoma Sooners left no doubt in their 11-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs to advance to the College World Series finals. It is OU’s second trip to the finals since 2022 but this one feels far more improbable.
A bubble team toward the end of the regular season and down 8-2 in an elimination game against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma has defied the odds and powered its way to the finals in Omaha. On Wednesday night, the Sooners hit five home runs against a Bulldogs team that led the nation in home runs per game this season.
Jason Walk got the home run party started, and Dasan Harris hit a pair of two-run bombs to help Oklahoma separate from one of the best teams in college baseball.
From the mound, freshman Nick Wesloski put together a strong performance for the Sooners, allowing just one earned run in 5.2 innings pitched. L.J. Mercurius worked 3.1 and allowed just one earned run against the vaunted Georgia offense.
Everything is clicking for Oklahoma heading into the finals, which begins on Saturday. They’ll face a good North Carolina Tar Heels for all the marbles. But before we get to the championship series, here’s a look at how social media reacted to the Sooners win over Georgia.
Playing for a Natty
Incredible Job by Skip Johnson
Definition of Team
Just Unreal
Got Hot at the Right Time
The Moment from the Dugout
Freshmen Phenoms
Nothing Easy, Everything Earned
Team of Destiny?
Exceeding All Expectations
Dasan Harris is that Dude
Incredible Story
Sooner Magic is alive and well
Playing for a trophy
Time to lay it all on the line
Just doing ridiculous things
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
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