COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A northern pike that an angler caught March 21 on Hayden Lake in northern Idaho is a new certified state record, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game confirms.
Thomas Francis said in an Fish and Game news release that he spends almost every day fishing for pike, "as soon as the ice is off and until it comes back." There was still some ice on the lake when he headed out to fish last Tuesday.
"When my lure hit the water, I let it sink all the way to the bottom. As soon as my lure hit the bottom, I felt her hit. I fish with 80 pound-test line, and she almost immediately started peeling drag, a lot of it," Francis said. "She pinned herself to the bottom and just kept going, peeling drag the whole time. I knew that wasn't normal, and I could tell it was something special... Suddenly, I got slack line as she was coming straight up from the bottom. She came flying out of the water, and it was obvious she was a huge fish."
The fish Francis landed weighed in at 40.76 pounds, measured 49 inches in length and measured 26.5 inches in girth.
The record was previously held by a fish caught in Lower Twin Lake, also in northern Idaho. That fish, caught in 2010, weighed 40.13 pounds. Its girth was 22.75 inches and its length was 50.75 inches.
Francis said after catching the pike, he headed for the dock to try and find a boat with a scale and tape measure. When he found a boat with a scale, Francis said, the fish "pegged the scale out at 30 pounds, so we knew we needed to find a bigger scale."
After checking a few different places, Francis found a certified scale and received the certified state-record weight of 40.76 pounds.
If you catch a fish you believe may be a state record, here's how to apply:
- Visit the record page on the Idaho Fish and Game website.
- Fill out an Idaho state record fish application. Provide method of catch, a weight from a certified scale and a receipt documenting the weight, and at least one photo of the fish and the signature of a witness. Certified scales are often available at post offices and grocery stores.
- You also will need a signature from a Fish and Game staff person.
Idaho Fish and Game has certified weight records and catch-and-release records for all fish species. Sturgeon, protected by law, are on a catch-and-release basis only. For catch-and-release records, the length is recorded but the weight is not.
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