Fishy Fish

KENNEWICK, Wash. — Austin Kenyon insisted his smallmouth bass was one for the state record books. The state, however, wasn’t hooked.

In fact, it ruled that the bass was packed with lead weights.

Two of Kenyon’s friends signed statements saying the fish had been tampered with when it was weighed on a state-certified scale.

“Our determination is that the fish had been stuffed with lead weights at the time it was inspected,” said Keith Underwood of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Kenyon, 22, of Kennewick, claimed the fish he caught Labor Day weekend was legitimate. He said it weighed 9.32 pounds on a state-certified scale.

Ray Wonacott of Ellensburg holds the record with an 8.75-pound smallmouth bass caught in 1966.

About a half-dozen state officials were involved in a monthlong investigation into Kenyon’s bass.

The fish was caught Sept. 2, weighed Sept. 5 and inspected by state officials Sept. 6. By the time the state wanted a closer look, Kenyon had already taken it to be mounted.

State officials and anglers began questioning the would-be record, saying common formulas used to calculate fish weight didn’t support Kenyon’s claim.