pomme De Terre Lake (pittsburg, Mo.) -- John Overstreet of Fayette became the most recent record-breaking fisherman in Missouri when he shot a giant bigmouth buffalo on Pomme de Terre Lake using a bow and arrow. The new "alternative method" record bigmouth buffalo taken by Overstreet on April 17 weighed 54 pounds. He shot the fish in the late afternoon in Button Cove.

"Believe it or not, I stuck the fish in the last 10 minutes before we headed back to camp," Overstreet said.

The new behemoth broke the previous alternative-method state-record bigmouth buffalo of 53 pounds snagged on the Lake of the Ozarks in 1996. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff verified the record-weight fish using a certified scale at Alps Grocery in Pittsburg.

"Once I shot the fish I knew I had a decent one, but it wasn't until we got it in the boat I knew I had a giant," Overstreet recalled. "It took three arrows to get the massive fish in the boat. I still can't believe I got this fish!"

The longtime fisherman said the fish is now at Bass Pro in Springfield getting mounted. Overstreet said he loves bowfishing and he looks forward to getting back out on the lake to fish more.

"There's a lot of bigger fish out there and I'm ready to go find them."

Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Bowfishing is considered an alternative method and consist of a bow or crossbow that shoots arrows attached to a string so that the fish can be retrieved after they're pierced. Other alternative methods include: throwlines, trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, and atlatl.

Conservation makes Missouri a great place to fish. For more information on state-record fish, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/fishing/state-record-fish. -