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Kelly Parry shows the record tiger muskie he
caught at Pineview Reservoir on July 4. Photo by Scott Root |
May 27, 2006
Ogden, Utah - Three record fish, including two new state
records, were caught at Pineview and Willard Bay reservoirs during
first two weeks in July.
The first fish was a 49-inch tiger muskie caught by Kelly Parry
of Bluffdale on July 4 at Pineview. The new record weighed in at
33 pounds, 10 ounces.
The previous record (which can hardly be referred to as "old") was
caught at Pineview just five weeks earlier by
Marc Anderson of
Pleasant Grove. Anderson's fish weighed in at 31 pounds, 11 ounces
and was 49 inches long with a girth of 23 inches.
While Anderson's record was short-lived, Utah's new wiper record
changed hands in even less time!
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John Volt shows the new record wiper he caught at
Willard Bay Reservoir on July 13.
Photo by Ben Nadolski |
The 7-pounds 7-ounces, 26 5/8-inches-long wiper caught by Joe
Huisu at Willard Bay on July 6 beat the old record by nearly a
pound, but his record was short-lived. On July 13, John Volt of
South Weber hauled in a new record that weighed in at 7 pounds 11
ounces, just four ounces heavier than Huisu's fish!
Even though Huisu held the record for only one week, he will still
be issued a record fish certificate since he had properly
registered and verified the catch as a valid record.
Parry and Volt are in the process of submitting their record fish
paperwork to the Division of Wildlife Resources. After their
paperwork has been reviewed, they will receive a certificate
certifying that they caught new state record fish.
Tiger Muskie Catch and Release Tips
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DWR biologist and experienced tiger muskie angler Kent Sorenson releases a tiger muskie after handling the fish properly. Photo by Kent Sorenson |
Utah
DWR fisheries biologists have been busy in northern Utah. Their
careful cultivation of Willard Bay and Pineview reservoirs for the
past 10 years has resulted in great fishing that has left them
even busier trying to preserve these great fisheries.
"We need anglers to properly release the fish that are critical to
the management of Pineview," says Craig Schaugaard, Northern
Region aquatics manager for the DWR.
The tiger muskies Schaugaard is referring to are smaller than 40
inches in length. These fish that are 40 inches and under feed
heavily on yellow perch and other panfish at the reservoir. This
feeding helps keep these panfish populations from overpopulating
and stunting. The end result is a multi-leveled fishery that
provides a trophy-sized tiger muskie fishery and a good family
perch fishing spot.
Kent "Sorno" Sorenson, DWR habitat biologist and an experienced
tiger muskie angler, says not being prepared to properly release a
huge fish is the biggest mistake anglers make at Pineview. Sorno
says the basics of successfully releasing a tiger muskie are to:
1. Bring the fish in as quickly as possible. "This time of year,
the fish do not have enough oxygen in the water to counter the
build up of lactic acid in their muscles that results from a long,
drawn out battle with an angler," he says. He believes many fish
will not survive a long fight, especially when the fight is
combined with the fish being poorly handled.2. Have a large mesh net, 11-inch needle nose pliers and jaw
openers readily accessible so you can quickly release the fish. "I
have seen numerous fish with split fins that come as a result of
small mesh nets," Sorenson said.
3. Take your photos quickly before releasing the fish. "Having
someone with you makes that much easier, but if you are fishing
alone, have your tripod and timer already set before you start
fishing. I have a fish out of the water no longer that 12
seconds," he says.
More information
The DWR Web site provides detailed information on how to land and
release tiger muskies safely and efficiently. This information is
available at
wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/tiger_muskie_tips.html.
For a complete list of Utah's record fish and requirements for the
record fish program, visit
wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/recfish.html.
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