Polk County man catches new state record walleye

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Tim Stillings of Morrisville for catching a 7-pound, 8-ounce walleye from the Sac River. Stillings caught the fish May 16 using a trotline. His record breaks the previous alternative methods record of 6-pounds, 14-ounces set in 2018.
“We run trotlines for catfish,” Stillings explained. “It’s somewhat of a dying art. A lot of people don’t do it anymore. But this was the first walleye we’ve caught on a trotline, and it happened to be a state record.”
Stillings said he considers this record a joint accomplishment with his friend, Jake Myers.
“Running trotlines is a lot of work,” he said. “Jake was the one who suggested that it could be a state record. I didn’t realize they had separate records for alternative methods.”
MDC staff verified the fish’s weight on a certified scale in Bolivar. This is the third state record fish caught in 2022.

MDC congratulates Tim Stillings of Morrisville for catching the third state record fish of 2022. Stillings caught a 7-pound, 8-ounce walleye using a trotline on the Sac River.

Stillings said he filleted and froze the fish for eating but plans to have a replica made.
“For those who ask where I caught it, right in the mouth,” he laughed.
Missouri state record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, gig, bow, crossbow, underwater spearfishing, snagging, snaring, grabbing, or atlatl.
For more information on state record fish, visit http://bit.ly/2efq1vl.