New Michigan-record gizzard shad caught in the Grand River

An angler from Lowell, Mich., caught a new state-record fish: a gizzard shad that weighed 4.45 pounds and measured 20.3 inches long. Sedrick Neinhuis was spincasting on the Grand River in Kent County on the afternoon of April 22 when he brought in the record-breaker.

This fish beats the previous state-record gizzard shad, which was 4.12 pounds and 21 inches, caught by baitcasting in 1996 on Lake St. Clair (St. Clair County). Gizzard shad are a fish native to Michigan and are named for their gizzard, a muscular organ filled with grit and stones that helps to break down food, more commonly associated with birds like chickens than with fish.

DNR fisheries biologist Matt Diana, who works out of Plainwell in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Southern Lake Michigan Fisheries Management Unit, verified Neinhuis’ new state-record fish.

“We kind of knew the fish was there,” said Neinhuis of that day on the water. “Our mission this year was to get one close to 5 pounds. There are a lot of big ones out there, but it’s one of those fish people don’t ever report. I’m hoping next year we can get one even bigger.”

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About state-record fish

Michigan’s state-record fish are recognized by weight only. To qualify, fish must exceed the current listed state-record weight and be weighed on a certified commercial scale, and identification must be verified by a DNR fisheries biologist.

To view a current list of Michigan state-record fish by species, visit Michigan.gov/StateRecordFish.

Visit Michigan.gov/Fishing for more information on fishing in Michigan.