New Montana state record walleye caught

Helena angler Trevor Johnson lands new state walleye record

MONTANA LIVING — Montana fish records keep falling, and the new state walleye record has recently been broken.

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Trevor Johnson with Montana state record walleye he landed May 10, 2021

On May 10, Trevor Johnson of Helena added a seventh whopper to the list of new state records when he reeled in a 18-pound, 32.25-inch walleye from Holter Lake near Helena.

Johnson’s fish weighed in at 18.02 pounds on a certified scale, measured 32.25 inches in length, and 22 inches in girth. He caught the record-setting fish on a jig, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Johnson's new record beat the former record by nearly a pound. The previous state walleye record was set in 2007 with a 17.75-pound fish from Tiber Reservoir. 

Other recent Montana state record fish include a chinook salmon caught last August, a smallmouth bass in October, a yellow bullhead in December, a brown trout in February, a longnose sucker in March, and a largemouth bass in April.

With a total of 91 native and introduced fish species found in Montana, interest in fish records has increased in recent years. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks maintains the list of record fish, and it is available on FWP’s website at https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/anglingData/records
Anglers who think they caught a state record fish should keep the following things in mind:

  • To prevent loss of weight, do not clean or freeze the fish. Keep the fish cool — preferably on ice.

  • Take a picture of the fish.

  • The fish must be weighed on a certified scale (found in grocery stores or hardware stores, etc.) and witnessed by a store employee or other observer. Obtain a weight receipt and an affidavit from the store personnel if no FWP official is present. Measure the length and girth.

  • Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified by a fisheries biologist.

In this video, Trevor Johnson talks fishing in Montana:

 


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