Angler snags monster trout, but that’s not the best part, Vermont officials say
%20(002).jpg "Lake Trout caught by Jeffrey Sanford in August.")
First time is a massive charm for an angler in Vermont during the dog days of summer. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has certified a record-setting 19.36-pound trout that angler Jeffery Sanford snagged in August.
It happened to be Sanford’s first cast of the day when he yanked in the 36.5 inch lake trout from the Vermont portion of Lake Champlain, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said in a news release Thursday.
“Jeff’s fish is the largest lake trout from Lake Champlain entered in the Record Fish Program since the department started keeping fish records in 1969,” said department fisheries biologist Shawn Good, according to the release. “There have been much larger lake trout caught in other Vermont waters, but this Champlain fish is a big deal.”
The solo angler was surprised by more than just the size of his catch.
“Once I netted it and got it in the boat I was astounded at its size and lack of any lamprey scars or wounds,” Sanford told the wildlife officials.
The lake has been in a battle with sea lampreys, an eel-like “vampire fish” that looks like something straight from the movie “Alien,” which rip the flesh off their prey with razor-sharp teeth — prey that includes lake trout, the release says.
An initially experimental sea lamprey control program that launched 30 years ago was put into play in 2002 as a long-term program to reduce the parasitic attack rates.
“We’re seeing lower overall wounding rates on many of these fish, and the fact that anglers are catching older, larger lake trout, salmon, and other fish species is proof that continued long-term sea lamprey control is working, and resulting in improved fishing opportunities on Champlain.”
The release states that Sanford originally wanted to release his catch back into the lake alive, but he was not able to revive it. The trout was entered and is currently leading the Lake Champlain’s International Basin Derby’s lake trout category. The derby runs from April 11, 2020-March 31, 2021.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Angler snags monster trout, but that’s not the best part, Vermont officials say."