Missouri man catches record-size paddlefish

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri man says he fought for nearly 30 minutes before landing a state-record paddlefish last week.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says the fish snagged by 33-year-old Andy Beolobraydic III of Richwoods weighed 140 pounds, 9 ounces.

The previous record paddlefish was 139 pounds, 4 ounces, caught in 2002.

Belobraydic caught the fish Saturday in the James River arm of Table Rock Lake. It was 56.75 inches long and 43.75 inches around.

The fish was certified as a state record Monday after being weighed on a certified scale in Branson.

It is being kept frozen at a business in Richwoods, about 40 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Belobraydic says he hopes an outdoor company will have a cast made of the fish and display it publicly.