Record Breaking 36 Pound Drum Caught In New York Lake

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A western New York man has reeled in a record-breaking fish from Oneida Lake.

The freshwater drum caught by Jason Bair, of Macedon, on June 16 weighed 36 pounds, beating the previous state record set last year by more than 6 pounds.

The Department of Environmental Conservation says freshwater drum, also called sheephead, are growing much bigger than they ever have in New York waters. That's likely because of their ability to eat invasive zebra and quagga mussels, using molars in their throats to crush the shells.

The big drum is the second record-breaking fish caught in New York this year. In April, Eric Scordo set a new channel catfish record with a 35-pounder caught in Lake Ontario in Jefferson County.

DEC lists freshwater fish records on its website .

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