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Illinois Outdoor News’ Catch of the Year: 140-pound paddlefish

Jim Dain, of Pittsfield, caught this 140-pound, 10-ounce paddlefish March 18, 2022, during a family vacation at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. (Photos courtesy of MDC)

An 8-pound largemouth bass from Crab Orchard Lake. A 4.8-pound crappie at Kinkaid Lake. A 51.75-inch muskie caught in northern Minnesota.
What would it take for a fish outside of the “cool species crowd” to earn the coveted Illinois Outdoor News “Catch of the Year” title?
Pittsfield’s Jim Dain answered that question in 2022 by yanking a 140-pound paddlefish from the Lake of the Ozarks.

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