No misprint: New state record fish weighs 0.36-pound

[Spiel]

No misprint: New state record fish weighs 0.36-pound

 

 

February 18, 2010

J.R. Absher / Slugs & Plugs

 

Picture

 

The pygmy whitefish caught by Montana angler Russ Geldrich in Little Bitterroot Lake on Sunday, Feb. 13 has officially weighed 5.76 ounces, making it the new state record for the species.

That’s right, the record fish tipped the scales at just more than one-third of a pound—36/100 of a pound, to be exact. It measured 9.84 inches in length.

 

The state of Montana is home to three species of whitefish in its lakes and streams—the mountain whitefish, lake whitefish and pygmy whitefish.

 

The Flathead Beacon newspaper reports that Geldrich caught the pygmy on a jig and maggot while fishing deep for kokanee. He had the fish weighed on a certified scale and certified by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel.

 

The state record for the unique species has been set or broken eight times since 1982.

 

Regular readers of my blogs may remember last year’s story about ice angler Eric Tullett of Kalispell, who tied the state record for the species at the same lake, hauling a 3.7-ounce whopper up from a depth of 80 feet while using a glow hook and maggot for bait.

 

Geldrich’s new record eclipsed the old mark held by Tullett and two others by 2.06 ounces—quite a margin, all things considered. When you figure Geldrich’s fish outweighed the old record by 55 percent, that’s pretty significant, whether you’re dealing with ounces or pounds.

 

Native to Montana's deep lakes, pygmy whitefish live near the bottom Little Bitterroot, Ashley, and Flathead. They feed on tiny zooplankton, bottom insects, and mysis shrimp.