Upstate NY Fisherman May Have Caught New State Record

Dante Piraino might be the new New York State smallmouth bass record holder after an incredible catch during a B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament in Ogdensburg, NY on September 22nd.

The day started like any other for Piraino, who made a long trip down the St. Lawrence River to fish near Cape Vincent. He was using a Berkley Flatnose Minnow soft plastic lure and a Garmin live scope, picking up a few smaller bass. Just when he was thinking of moving on, he hooked on something big.

“I was about to leave but decided to give it one more shot,” Piraino told Wired2Fish. “At around 9 a.m., I hooked a huge one. At first, I thought it was around six pounds, but when I pulled it in, it was way heavier.”

Piraino had caught a 7-pounder earlier that summer, but this fish felt even bigger. “When I went to lip it, its lips were swollen, and I thought, ‘Wow, this thing is massive.’”

On his boat’s scale, the fish weighed in close to 9 pounds. Piraino fizzed the fish to keep it alive and continued fishing, eventually catching a total of 31.4 pounds for the day which is a massive bag and the biggest of the tournament.

But the real surprise came when he realized he might have a state record on his hands. The fish weighed 9 pounds, potentially breaking the 8-pound, 6-ounce record set in 2022. Though the record is still pending, Piraino released the fish to keep it healthy and is waiting for official confirmation.

Along with this, Piraino also qualified for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.