State Record Smallmouth for Colorado

An 11-year-old angler established a new Colorado state record for smallmouth bass with a 6-pound, 8-ounce fish caught from Aurora Reservoir in mid-November. The fisherman, Conner Peitsmeyer, was fishing with his father, Michael, in 35-degree weather when he hooked the bass. He was using a minnow for bait.

The youngster’s smallmouth replaced the previous Colorado record of 5 pounds, 12 ounces that was boated in 1993.

“We had caught quite a few big bass that week, so we knew they were in there,” said Michael Peitsmeyer. “When he caught that first big one [which weighed slightly more than 5 pounds], Conner told me he was shaking, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or from the excitement.”

Aurora Reservoir is a 640-acre lake that has been stocked with bass, walleyes and trout, among other sport fish.