Trout Fishing Tips

The International Game & Fish Association (IGFA) approved 21 new trout records in 2008. Of those new records, the breakdown looked like this:

• 8 new rainbow trout records
• 5 new bull trout records
• 2 new brown trout records
• 2 new lake trout records
• 2 new tiger trout records
  
• 1 new cutthroat trout record
• 1 new brook trout records

One of the new trout records mentioned above was set by Sean Konrad. Recognize the name? He and his brother have set several trout records while fishing at Lake Diefenbaker in Canada. In fact, his brother Adam holds the current world record for rainbow trout. Sean set a new line class record for catching a 37-lb 4-oz. rainbow trout on 16-lb test line.

Not to be outdone by his brother Sean, Adam Konrad set another new record in August 2008. His new line class record was approved for catching a 40-lb 10-oz. rainbow trout on 12-lb test line. This rainbow trout is only 3-lbs shy of his world record catch.

The bull trout records were all set by same person (Bo Nelson). All these trout were caught in the Flathead River in Canada in August 2008. Three of the catches qualified for line class records and the remaining two qualified for fly rod records.

Both tiger trout catches qualified for line class records. One fish (13-lbs, 12-oz.) was caught in Washington state in May 2008 and the other (4-lbs) was caught in Wyoming in October 2008.

Justin Van Cleave qualified for two records (line class and junior) when he caught his 2-lb, 12-oz brown trout in the Bear River in Colorado.

Mickey Russo claimed a new line class record for catching an 8-lb, 6-oz brook trout on 6-lb test line. This trout was caught off Long Island in New York.

Pyramid Lake in Nevada is home to the new fly rod record for an 11-lb, 1-oz. cutthroat trout caught on a 12-lb tippet.

Both new lake trout records were recorded in Wyoming. The first lake trout (2-lbs) was caught at Yellowstone Lake by Mark Kemp. This catch set a line class record (12-lb test). A week later, Virginia Kemp caught 2-lb lake trout at Shoshone Lake on a 4-lb tippet (thereby setting a new fly rod record).

There's also two new trout records currently pending. Both of these new records were caught by same man in Wyoming in October 2008. He set a fly rod record for catching a 1-lb, 4 oz brown trout on a 20-lb tippet. Then on the same day, set a line class record for a 3-lb tiger trout on 12-lb test line.

Click here to see trout records set in 2007

Click here for see trout records set in 2006

Labels: Adam Konrad, Sean Konrad, trout records

I've been holding off posting information about this apparent new world record for rainbow trout because I wanted to have all the facts first. Knowing that we check our facts, our readers have come to trust the information posted on this site - and we don't want to lead them astray with hyped stories and rumors.

But the story behind a possible new world record for rainbow trout is gaining momentum, and we thought we'd better say something about it.

The story goes like this ... on June 5th, a man named Adam Konrad reported catching a 43.6 lb rainbow trout out of Lake Defienbaker in Saskatchewan, Canada. The previous record (set in 1970) weighed in at 42 lbs 2 oz. and was caught off Bell Island in Alaska.

Adam and his brother Sean were fishing together and they've produced photos of their catch and have shared their stories on trophytroutguide.com as well as with various other news sources.

I'd like to believe them. It's exciting to see and old record broken (especially one that's over 30 years old). But, I'm a bit hesitant for one simple reason ... The International Game and Fish (IGFA) web does not show this record pending. This is the agency that would certify the fish to be new world record. Yet their database does not show a pending record.

It's possible that the web database just hasn't been updated yet. And both Adam and Sean do hold records in the IGFA database ...

• Adam holds the 12-lb line class record for catching a 33 lb 6 oz rainbow trout in Lake Defienbaker, in July 2006, and
  
• Sean holds the 8-lb line class record for catching 34 lb 8 oz rainbow trout in Lake Defienbaker
  

These existing records add credibility to Adam and Sean's story. Adding to that, their previous records were also caught in Lake Defienbaker - also adding credibility.

It's very possible that the 1970 rainbow trout record has been broken. But I will hold my excitement until I see it confirmed on the IGFA web site. And when and if I do, I'll be sure to post the details here.

Update (June 27, 2007)- IGFA just confirmed the new pending record for me! Congratulations Adam!

Labels: Adam Konrad, Lake Defienbaker, Rainbow Trout Record, World Trout Records