Jimmy Lee Boles III of Laurel caught the new state record golden shiner while fly fishing at Lake Josephine in Riverfront Park in Billings on April 28. Boles’ record golden shiner weighed 0.39 pounds—more than double the previous record of 0.18 pounds—and measured 8.88 inches in total length with a girth of 6 inches.
“This has been a fun way to kick off the fishing season—being optimistic and open-minded to different fish species,” Boles said of his record-setting angling experience.
Golden shiners are in the minnow family and are native to eastern North America. In Montana, they are non-native and are found in some warm, weedy ponds and lakes, and slow-moving streams in central and eastern Montana.
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