FLAMING GORGE RESERVOIR — Dylan Bear of Pinedale set the men’s speargun world record for largest Smallmouth Bass on September 9, and it came from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

The fish was 5 pounds and 5 ounces, 20 3/8 inches long, and had a girth of 15 1/2 inches. While Bear said he has struggled to spearfish for the past couple of years due to declining populations of smallmouth bass in the Gorge, 2024 was his lucky year.

“After a week of elk hunting, I aimed south to the Flaming Gorge for some good old spearfishing recovery. After not getting to spearfish at some of my favorite spots on the Gorge for the last couple years due to declining populations of smallmouth bass, I decided to get in at one of my favorite honey holes to investigate,” Bear said. “Realizing that there was a variety of young, medium and mature bass, the plan was set to take my limit and harvest a tasty dinner.”

He took two bass before deciding to save the last of his limit to look for a larger, mature bass.

“After over two hours of diving and being very selective, I saw a small school and a few medium size smallmouth, so I dropped down to 20 feet, scratched a rock to mimic the sounds of crawdads, relaxed my body and waited until I saw three medium fish coming in, behind them was a dark shadow,” Bear said. “Avoiding eye contact, with my spear gun in front of me, I waited for the fish to swim in front of my spear and then landed a shot through both gill plates. Securing the fish, I soon realize that the girth, the color, and the length of this fish was that of an old and healthy smallmouth.”

He first weighed the fish using a scale at a post office before rushing it to the Department of Natural Resources office in Vernal. Officers verified the weight and size of the fish, determining its world record status.

“The fish biologist informed me that this fish was 15 to 20 years old and also took a scale sample to verify that, which means this was probably a minnow when I started Spearfishing,” Bear said. “Grateful for healthy fish, ecosystems, and getting to be a part of it all.”