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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Riverton, WY
    Posts
    512

    Default Have you ever...

    Let a fish go that was probably a state record? I think I may have caught a state record Mountain whitefish today. Wyoming's record is 20.5" and 4.4 lbs. My fish was close if not over 20" and felt nice and heavy. Not thinking about it, I let him go for another day.

    Overall it was a good day fishing though! Mostly Whitefish, my first time ever hooking up with them, and one brown trout.

    Paul
    Life is expensive... but it does include a free trip around the sun.
    Mottled Fly Fisher - My Fishing Blog

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    NE Gwinnett Co., GA
    Posts
    5,933

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    Sound like a pretty good day to me. I have not caught a fish I was not happy to have on my line since I was about 11 years old, that was a long time ago.

    I occasionaly pick up a nice bass, catfish or grass carp. For years I carried a Zebco DeLiar scale and/or a little fish scale I paid a buck for at K-Mart. In the quest for more accuracy I bought a nice Rapala digital scale, I haven't caught a good bass since. You will alway have the belief you caught an released a fish near the state record, it may get larger with time in the stream and in your memory.
    Want to hear God laugh? Tell him Your plans!!!

  3. #3

    Lightbulb Probably not ??

    Paul -

    In March '08, I caught a Mountain Whitefish on the South Fork of the Snake in SE Idaho that was a full 23" long. The following is quoted from a thread I started at that time -

    "Did some research on State Records. Turns out the biggest mountain whitefish length-wise on record in the U.S. was a 23" ( 5 Lb 11 oz ) fish caught 10-07 in Hauser Reservoir in Montana. The biggest weight-wise is the Idaho State Record at ( 22.5" ) 5 lb 14 oz taken at Island Park Reservoir in 1997.

    I didn't weigh the one I caught yesterday, but suspect he was in the 5.5-6 pound range. He certainly was healthy and fat.

    Didn't just throw back a potential Idaho State Record mountain whitefish - may have thrown back a U. S. record ??!! "

    A couple years later, I caught another 23" mountain whitefish on the South Fork and threw it back, too.

    Used to catch lots of whitefish during the winter down in Idaho. Up here in Montana, not so much.

    John
    The fish are always right.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Riverton, WY
    Posts
    512

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    I do carry a scale and tape measure, but the fishing was so hot, didn't want to take enough of a break to get it out
    Life is expensive... but it does include a free trip around the sun.
    Mottled Fly Fisher - My Fishing Blog

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