Rick Poedtke is the new state record-holder for the largest catch-and-release smallmouth bass. The Priest River resident landed the 22-inch monster while fly fishing on the Pend Oreille River in early May.

In congratulating Poedtke, Idaho Fish & Game officials said the smallmouth bass beat the previous record smallmouth bass ­— which measured 21 inches long — caught from Coeur d’Alene Lake in 2017.

While anglers can catch smallmouth bass throughout the summer and fall, May through June is typically the best time to target bigger bass, IDFG officials said. Bass feed aggressively in the weeks before spawning and can be found in shallower water, before they retreat to deeper water as the summer heats up.

Smallmouth bass in Idaho typically take five years to grow to 12 inches long, IDFG officials noted as a fun fact in a press release on the new record. That means, the fish Poedtke caught could be over 12-15 years old.