This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I wonder how long it took to get the carp smell off of the scales in the Smith's grocery store in Brigham City? That was my first response to the information sent to me about the new Utah archery record for carp.
State wildlife officials confirmed Monday that the 30-pound 4-ounce carp shot by Stephen Shemenski with archery equipment on the Willard Spur on April 7 is the new record.
All possible record fish must be weighed on certifiable scales. In this case, the closest place was the local Smith's store.
Those familiar with Utah's fishing records will be pleased to see that the name being erased from the record book is none other than the infamous Ray Johnson. His 27-pound carp was shot in 1991.
Drew Cushing, warmwater species coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, confirmed the record and noted that the fish was not as long as the previous carp, but was wider in girth.
For the record, the biggest carp landed and kept by an angler was a 32-pound chubby taken at Lake Powell.