I stuck a piece of Darin's fish in among some blind samples being analyzed genetically for potential hybrids and it came back pure bighead. No surprise there, but genetically confirmed as pure.

Did you test for the gene for gigantism?

hmmm...
If it wasn't pure, would Darin have the record for BOTH bighead and Silver ??

I don't know what the BAA does with hybrids. Illinois is unusual among states in that they keep separate records for hybrids and purebreds. Some states and record keeping groups do not allow records on hybrids. Undoubtedly, many state records for purebred fish (especially crappies) are probably actually hybrid fish that were never identified as such. At any rate, I don't know if Darin cares or not, but if anyone ever threw up a doubt as to whether his fish qualifies for the the bighead carp record because they believed it to be a hybrid (and some pictures that I have seen, because of angle, could leave that impression) there is now genetic evidence that it is, in fact, a bighead, not a hybrid.