Angler catches record-breaking fish from Michigan river

Carol Thompson, The Detroit News Thu, May 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM UTC

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Sedrick Neinhuis holding the state-record gizzard shad he caught on April 22, 2026, in the Grand River in Kent County.

A west Michigan angler caught a record-breaking fish in the Grand River in April, the state Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday.

Sedrick Neinhuis, of Lowell, reeled in a state-record gizzard shad while spincasting in the river in Kent County on April 22. The fish weighed 4.45 pounds and was 20.3 inches long, the DNR confirmed.

"We kind of knew the fish was there," Neinhuis said in a DNR press release. "Our mission this year was to get one close to 5 pounds. There are a lot of big ones out there, but it's one of those fish people don't ever report. I'm hoping next year we can get one even bigger."

Gizzard shad are native to Michigan. Like chickens and turkeys, they have gizzards, which are muscular organs that help them break down food.

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The fish was heavier but not quite as long as the former state record holder: a gizzard shad caught in 1996 on Lake St. Clair weighing 4.12 pounds and 21 inches long.

Fish must be weighed on a certified commercial scale and verified by a DNR fisheries biologist in order to qualify as a state-record fish. DNR fisheries biologist Matt Diana verified Neinhuis' fish.

An angler from west Michigan caught a state-record gizzard shad in April 2026 while fishing in the Grand River in Kent County. The fish was 4.45 pounds and 20.3 inches long.

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ckthompson@detroitnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Angler catches record gizzard shad from Grand River in Kent County

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