Anglers reeling in record setting fish

Anglers around the country have been reeling in some monsters lately.

Two new record catches were recorded during the month of October. One catch was in Vermont with a lake trout and the other catch was in Georgia with a blue catfish.

Jeffrey Sanford, from South Burlington, Vermont, caught a 36.5-inch lake trout that weighed 19.36-pounds from Lake Champlain back in August, according to a story on Fox News. While the fish is not the largest caught in the state, it is the largest pulled from Lake Champlain.

Sanford accomplished a lot of firsts on the trip.

According to a press release from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Sanford said he got his first boat this year and was out on the lake for the first time by himself.

“It hit on my first cast of the day,” he said in the release. “Once I netted it and got it in the boat, I was astounded at its size and lack of any lamprey scars or wounds. It was an amazing fish and quite the battle. I’m extremely excited for next season! We have such an incredible fishery here.”

Sanford wanted to release the fish alive but could not revive it.

The fish was celebrated for its size because there have been issues in Lake Champlain with nuisance sea lamprey, which prey on lake trout. As a result, the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative, initiated an experimental sea lamprey control program in 1990, according to the release.

Sanford’s catch had no sea lamprey wounds. Officials say this demonstrates control efforts are working, which improves fishing opportunities in Lake Champlain.

Another large catch was hauled in this month.

Tim Trone, from Havana, Florida, reeled in a 110-pound, six-ounce Blue Catfish. It measured 58 inches long and had a 42-inch girth, according to Fox News.

The fish was caught on the Chattahoochee River in Stewart County and confirmed as the largest catch of a Blue Catfish by the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division.

Fox News spoke with Trone about the catch. He told the news outlet the fish did not put up much of a fight and when he first saw it, he believed it weighed around 50 pounds. Only when he got it closer did he realize how monstrous it was.

Leave us a comment and let us know about your biggest catch.