Indianapolis angler catches state record Mooneye

Indianapolis resident Tyler Baumann caught a 9-ounce mooneye on the East Fork of the Whitewater River on June 5 in Dearborn County, beating the previous record of 5.8 ounces set in 2019 on the Ohio River in Clark County.

Baumann caught the 12-inch-long state record fish from a kayak using a night crawler under a bobber. State record fish are determined by weight rather than length.

Mooneye are found in large rivers throughout Indiana. Mooneye and goldeye look similar and are often mistaken for one or the other. To differentiate between the two, look at where the dorsal fin starts in comparison to the anal fin. For mooneye, the start of the dorsal fin is either before or in line with the start of the anal fin. For goldeye, the start of the dorsal fin is behind the start of the anal fin.

Learn more about the Indiana Record Fish program or Fish of the Year program at on.IN.gov/recordfish.

Learn about purchasing a fishing license at gooutdoorsIN.com

To view more DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov