New World Record - Trout ?

[Paul Roberts]

True enough -about the angling part. I can appreciate that. But for me, it's not all about a screaming drag and my mug shot. Genetically manipulated fish are like steroids in the Olympics. Call me old fashioned.

When I first came to CO I fished a famous river here. There was a shop there and the owner pointed out a deep pool where he said they'd just stocked genetically manipulated trout -"up to 12lbs!!", he exclaimed. I waited until he went back inside and then hiked in the other direction.

Another time I came into a fly-shop and there was a pic of a slob 'bow at the counter. It was caught in private water I could pay a guide to fish. He then showed me pics of all kinds of tyros holding slob 'bows that came from a series of intensively managed (pellets) ponds. Such a scenario holds absolutely no interest for me. In fact, just the opposite.

I'm drawing some lines -for myself. Guess I'm just not a record book kind of angler -especially when it's in-any-way-possible.

[J Francho]

I hear you there, and I agree with some of what you are saying. I think in this case, though, those fish have spent a great deal of time just living in the lake, being trout. These guys are fishing in the right place, at the right time, with the right baits, and catching the biggest fish in the lake. Consistently. Record fish are all a little weird, or something is different about them or their environment that allows them to get so big.

We should probably start a new thread. Topics like Share-A-Lunker, pellet fed trout, NYS record LMB caught out of a private, stocked lake, triploid trout, tiger musky, FL x Northern strain crosses, etc. etc.......

And, oh yeah....I'm a HERO!!!   :D

[Lund Explorer]

I can't really speak about that specific Rainbow, but as a guy that has fished the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron for a number of years, I don't think that Brown was doctored.  

For the most part, this fish is just like all of the other lake run fish, just bigger.  These fish swim most of their lives in big water eating a very rich diet of smelt, sculpin, and alewives.  The fish was also probably lucky that it most likely survived numerous spawning runs where she was either never caught, or if she had been, released to live another day.  Most of the really big browns caught here are during the spring of the year right after the ice moves out.  The fish follow the smelt up shallow during their spawning run and can be caught during that time.

To expand on J Francho's quote that "Record fish are all a little weird.", you can add that this fish was actually making its spawning run much earlier than normal.  Most lake run browns move into the rivers to spawn after the season for keeping them ends on September 30th each year.  It isn't very often that you see these big fish in the rivers this time of year, but especially this year.  Near shore water temperatures have been abnormally high this year which has led to a reduced the number of fish (Kings and Cohos) that have even started upstream.  Had this fish escaped capture for just one more month, it would have been illegal to keep it, and hence no new record.  It makes me wonder if this fish hasn't already been caught a few times.

There have been "Triploids" planted in the Great Lakes by Michigan's DNR, but they were limited to a short term experiment with King Salmon.  It was an attempt to see if the lake would support fish that would approach the size of the fish you see coming out of rivers like the Kenai <sp?> in Alaska.  The idea was that a sterile fish would remain in the lake to grown and wouldn't move into their natal streams during the 3-4 year of life.  As far as I know, that effort, which failed, has been stopped.

Also, in case it hasn't been said before, this fish was caught on a Rapala Shad Rap.  The fishermen were using the drop back method using a west coast style drift boat.  This style of fishing is normally done by anchoring upstream of a deeper hole and allowing the baits to work downstream of the boat.  These guys were actually targeting King Salmon, which while they are not really feeding once they enter the stream, will attack a bait that sits in their face until they get aggravated enough to hit it.  That is the key to the drop back method of fishing, as the bait will work in the current, but not really move/change position in the hole.

[Paul Roberts]

I can't really speak about that specific Rainbow, but as a guy that has fished the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron for a number of years, I don't think that Brown was doctored.

For the most part, this fish is just like all of the other lake run fish, just bigger. These fish swim most of their lives in big water eating a very rich diet of smelt, sculpin, and alewives. The fish was also probably lucky that it most likely survived numerous spawning runs where she was either never caught, or if she had been, released to live another day. Most of the really big browns caught here are during the spring of the year right after the ice moves out. The fish follow the smelt up shallow during their spawning run and can be caught during that time.

To expand on J Francho's quote that "Record fish are all a little weird.", you can add that this fish was actually making its spawning run much earlier than normal. Most lake run browns move into the rivers to spawn after the season for keeping them ends on September 30th each year. It isn't very often that you see these big fish in the rivers this time of year, but especially this year. Near shore water temperatures have been abnormally high this year which has led to a reduced the number of fish (Kings and Cohos) that have even started upstream. Had this fish escaped capture for just one more month, it would have been illegal to keep it, and hence no new record. It makes me wonder if this fish hasn't already been caught a few times.

There have been "Triploids" planted in the Great Lakes by Michigan's DNR, but they were limited to a short term experiment with King Salmon. It was an attempt to see if the lake would support fish that would approach the size of the fish you see coming out of rivers like the Kenai <sp?> in Alaska. The idea was that a sterile fish would remain in the lake to grown and wouldn't move into their natal streams during the 3-4 year of life. As far as I know, that effort, which failed, has been stopped.

Also, in case it hasn't been said before, this fish was caught on a Rapala Shad Rap. The fishermen were using the drop back method using a west coast style drift boat. This style of fishing is normally done by anchoring upstream of a deeper hole and allowing the baits to work downstream of the boat. These guys were actually targeting King Salmon, which while they are not really feeding once they enter the stream, will attack a bait that sits in their face until they get aggravated enough to hit it. That is the key to the drop back method of fishing, as the bait will work in the current, but not really move/change position in the hole.

We're talking about the pending record rainbow. Sorry for the confusion. Certain strains of brown trout have been known to reach 60lbs (Seeforellen was one I believe) -captured via commercial net in Europe.

(John, are we off topic again!! In complete agreement with your last post (on that ugly old excuse for a trout lol)).

[scootz]

I have never heard about this, thanks for sharing. I am an avid trout fisherman. I agree with you, I have no interest in fishing for modified fish, or records. This just seems like the opposite of what I want to do when trout fishing. I am a stream, river fisherman I would much rather catch a 4# native rainbow or a 2# brookie than one of these. But that is just my opinion.

[Lund Explorer]

No problem Paul.  

The War Dept (A.K.A. Mrs, Lund) has been telling me for years that I'm easily confused.   ;D

[Lund Explorer]

Wow, looks like this record didn't last very long.  And the new winner is coming right across the same lake!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700049921/Wisconsin-angler-hooks-huge-41--pound-trout-may-have-world-record.html

[NY_ANGLERS]

Nice fish.....

[ShaneK1990]

*amazed*

[OHIO]

That's a giant

[hookingem]

GREAT DAYY! 

[NateFollmer]

Man, I think my fly rod would snap in half if I caught anything even close to that size... Seeing stuff like this makes me want to hit Penn's Creek... throw some mice patterns haha.

[RyneB]

nice fish, another world record caught on a Rapala.