DEARBORN CO. — An Indianapolis man has set a new state record after catching a massive mooneye on the East Fork of the Whitewater River. Tyler Baumann, an Indianapolis resident, reeled in a 9-ounce mooneye on June 5, surpassing the previous record of 5.8 ounces set in 2019.
Baumann, who was fishing from a kayak, caught the 12-inch-long fish using a night crawler under a bobber. The Indiana Record Fish program determines records by weight, not length.
Mooneye are found in large rivers across Indiana and are often mistaken for goldeye. To tell the two apart, anglers should look at the dorsal fin’s position relative to the anal fin: the mooneye’s dorsal fin starts either before or in line with the anal fin, while the goldeye’s dorsal fin begins behind it.
For more information on the Indiana Record Fish program or to learn about purchasing a fishing license, visit on.IN.gov/recordfish or gooutdoorsIN.com.
