Southwest
Angler hopes 27-pound smallmouth buffalo fish shatters Texas record
Last year, Kentucky angler Art Weston set four records with one catch — and now he is ready to add another to his roster in the New Year.
On Dec. 18, 2023, Weston was joined by Austin Anderson, a fishing guide with CarpPro Texas Guide Service, who specializes in catching world-record buffalo fish. The pair embarked on a trip to Austin, Texas, to catch smallmouth buffalo fish.
“A buffalo is a type of indigenous fish to many parts of the United States that is often confused with carp, but it is part of the sucker family and requires specific techniques to fish for them successfully (often with what are called hair rigs),” Weston told Fox News Digital.
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“Buffalo fish can grow to well over 80 pounds and live nearly 100 years,” he added.
After months of preparation, Weston and Anderson were determined to take on a world record that is not for the faint of heart — a 2-pound line class record.
Art Weston (pictured here) has reeled in a 27-pound smallmouth buffalo fish in Texas, with the help of a fisherman’s guide named Austin Anderson. (Art Weston)
“Which means, hooking and catching the largest buffalo on line that breaks with just 2-pounds of force. [The] 2-pound line is the thinnest line that is manufactured in the world for fishing,” Weston said.
While buffalo fish are traditionally caught from the shoreline with bait spread out in the shallow area, Weston chose a different route, as he was using such a light line that is prone to snag, he said.
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The angler and his guide opted to use Anderson’s boat, known as the “Buffalo Battleship.”
Weston and Anderson lined up multiple fishing rods with “’bite alarms’ that trigger a loud beep when the fish takes the hook,” Weston said.
The fish that Weston reeled in weighed 27 pounds — 10 pounds over the previous record, which was set in 1995. (Art Weston)
“Given the line breaks at just 2 pounds of force, we used a very small hook that would not require me to ‘set the hook’ as that could easily break the line at the start of the fight,” he added.
Using Anderson’s 360-degree Sonar system, the fishermen were able to identify dozens of buffalo fish in their chosen spot.
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“We knew we picked a great spot,” Weston said.
After 2:00 p.m., Weston and Anderson heard the alarms sound off.
Using Anderson’s 360-Sonar system (pictured here), Weston and Anderson were able to find a great spot where fish surrounded the boat. The fish look like grains of rice on the sonar screen,” Weston said. (Art Weston)
“I picked up the rod and began to apply slow but steady pressure, using only about 1 pound of drag on the reel,” Weston said.
“One trick I learned [from] fishing light line is that you want a reel that has a low maximum drag setting, which relates to a smoother fight when only using a small amount of drag.,” he added.
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Once a fish “tore off line,” the two men knew they caught something large and were ready for a fight.
“It was such an exciting catch and release, one that will be hard to forget.”
Weston did his best to avoid the other rods so that nothing could break his delicate line. Anderson also helped with clearing the boat deck.
“After many long runs, this particular buffalo came to the surface and Austin was ready with the net and was able to land it on the first try,” Weston said.
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“For its size, it could have been a much longer fight, so we were very lucky.”
Weston and Austin immediately knew that they might have caught a record-breaking fish.
Weston and Anderson rushed back to shore to weigh the fish before releasing it back into the water. (Art Weston)
Weston and Anderson got ready to weigh and measure the fish before releasing it back into the water.
Anderson had a mesh bag that was used to secure the fish, while it was kept in the water on the side of the boat to breathe.
Weston weighed the fish, which was 27 pounds — 10 pounds over the previous record set in 1995.
The 2-pound line class record fish, reeled in 28 years ago, weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces and was caught along the Trinity River in Texas.
Once the two were able to weigh the fish according to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) standards, Weston released the fish back into the water.
Weston has submitted his catch to the IGFA in hopes of taking the 2-pound line class record for smallmouth buffalo fish. (Art Weston)
“It was such an exciting catch and release, one that will be hard to forget,” Weston said.
Weston said he is still waiting to hear back from the IGFA on his new record.
Fox News reached out to Anderson and the IGFA for comment.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
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A man and a woman devastated by the murder of their 4-month-old daughter earlier this week at a Claremont daycare facility are speaking out and demanding answers.
On June 29, officers with the Claremont Police Department responded to the 1400 block of Lynoak Drive around 11:30 a.m. on reports of a medical emergency.
When they arrived, authorities said that they determined a juvenile had thrown the infant to the floor inside the residence.
The baby was initially taken to Pomona Valley Hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital of Orange County due to the severity of her injuries, police said.
The baby girl, now identified as Troy May Elaine Cohn, later succumbed to her injuries.
The suspect, who is not being identified because he is underage, was taken into custody at the scene and booked on suspicion of murder at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. He has since been charged with murder by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The child’s parents, Jasmyne Cohn and Anthony Owens, believe daycare staff left their daughter unsupervised with the 17-year-old boy arrested in the case.
Cohn said she was at work when she received a call telling her to rush to Pomona Valley Hospital.
“My child had bruises all over her body. Her head was fractured,” she told KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff. “I lost my daughter due to the negligence of this daycare.”
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Troy May Elaine Cohn, 4 months old, of Pomona, was killed after allegedly being thrown to the ground by a 17-year-old boy with autism at a daycare in Claremont on June 29, 2026. (viewer image) -
The parents of a 4-month-old girl believe the owner of a daycare facility in Claremont, seen here, is responsible for their daughter’s death on June 29, 2026. (KTLA)
It is unclear why the teen, who has autism, was at the facility, which is intended for children 8 years old and younger. Cohn and Owens believe he may have been attending the daycare and was being supervised by the owner.
“She drops her off at daycare and then has to meet at the hospital because the baby has been harmed?” Andrea Holcomb, the infant’s grandmother, said. “How does that make sense?”
Baby Troy’s parents say they believe the daycare created a dangerous environment by allowing the teen to be in the presence of defenseless young children.
“He should not have been in a daycare with children,” Cohn said. “Not just my child, any child.”
Owens said he does not know why this happened but wants justice. Both parents say they believe the daycare should be shut down.
A GoFundMe has been organized to help Troy’s parents cover the cost of funeral and medical expenses, as well as the costs associated with seeking justice for their daughter.
The teen was arraigned Thursday and remains in custody in connection with the child’s death.
A juvenile has been formally charged with murder in the death of a 4-month-old infant who authorities say was thrown to the floor inside a Claremont home earlier this week. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed one count of murder against the juvenile suspect after reviewing the Claremont Police Department’s investigation, according to […]
The parents of an 8-year-old boy tragically killed by a large tree that fell in a Calabasas park last year are expected to receive more than $14 million as part of a settlement agreement with the agency responsible for managing the park.
On July 9, Lamar McGlothurn, along with several others attending Camp Wildcraft on the grounds of King Gillette Ranch Park, was struck when a 25- to 30-foot branch weighing about 100 pounds snapped from a tree.
McGlothurn was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died from blunt force injuries, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner.
An 11-year-old girl with a broken leg was also airlifted to the hospital. A 5-year-old boy suffered head lacerations, a 22-year-old man sustained head and arm bruises, and a 73-year-old man suffered a concussion.
Text messages sent a day before the tragedy by an employee of a tree care company later surfaced, raising concerns about the condition of the tree.
“It is somewhat concerning seeing all the decay at the trunk. It would be wise to thin the canopy and alleviate end weight at a minimum to mitigate risk,” the employee wrote.
A settlement agreement was signed in March, SFGATE reported.
The child’s parents are expected to receive $14.65 million. The bulk of the settlement will be paid by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which manages the park, along with smaller amounts from Camp Wildcraft and Gomez Landscape & Tree Care.
Six other people injured in the incident are set to receive a combined $4.65 million from insurers representing the MRCA, Camp Wildcraft and the tree care company.
In a statement to SFGATE, an MRCA spokesperson said the agency hopes the settlement will, in some small way, bring solace to the McGlothurn family.
“We at the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority cannot fathom the immense loss and tremendous pain the family of Lamar McGlothurn has endured from Lamar’s tragic death,” the statement said.
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