Mammoth Trout Likely a State Record

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Courtesy of Wayne Kruse of the Everett Herald, We're having lucky angler and new State Record holder Kirk Herrin on the show this week to discuss his trophy of a lifetime!

The term "hybrid vigor" is used by fish biologists to describe the fact that the offspring of two disparate parents often exhibits a growth rate superior to either.

That definitely was the case for the tiger trout Kirk Herrin caught last month.

Herrin, a painting contractor from Manson, landed a huge tiger trout of 15.04 pounds on April 11 in Roses Lake. After all the vetting and paperwork is complete, the fish is expected to be:

-A state record for the brook trout/brown trout cross,

-The No. 2 tiger on the International Game Fish Association's all-tackle listing of world records,

-The world record tiger in the IGFA's 10-pound-test-line class.

-The 10-pound-test-line class record in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

The only tiger on the books, from anywhere, larger than Herrin's fish is the IGFA all-tackle world record of 20 pounds, 13 ounces, caught in Lake Michigan 34 years ago. The current state record is 13.75 pounds, caught May 27, 2008, in Fish Lake, near Spokane, by Evan Roda. The existing IGFA 10-pound-line class record is an almost insignificant 3 pounds, and the FFHF 10-pound line class record an even more insignificant 2 pounds, Herrin said.

Whew! Not bad for a catch that not only was a fluke, but also was caught on a Fluke -- a soft swim-bait bass lure.

Herrin was up front about his lucky day.

"I was casting for bass," he said, "so it was strictly an accident that I hooked the big trout."

But as an experienced tournament bass fisherman, Herrin knows the record fish, if officially verified, is worth a few bucks in tackle endorsements. At least enough, maybe, to have his tiger mounted, he said.

He also mentioned that an 8-pound tiger was caught about a week later, by another angler, and released back into the lake.

Tiger trout have been introduced over the years by a number of states, usually for two reasons: first, as a way to enhance the sport fishery, and second as a predator. Tigers prey on other fish, and have been effective in controlling "rough species" populations in certain circumstances. The hybrids are also sterile, making it easier to control their numbers.

Wisconsin was one of the earliest states to utilize the trout, planting them in the Great Lakes until the 1970s, when the program ended. The long-standing world record was probably one of those Wisconsin fish.

According to state Department of Fish and Wildlife inland fish program manager Chris Donley in Spokane, a dozen or so lakes have been planted with tiger trout in Washington, and stocking continues.

"The hybrids have an even better growth rate than our triploid rainbow," Donley said. "To produce a really big-body trout, you need to find one willing to eat other fish."

Roses is still being planted, from the Chelan Hatchery, and has been since 2009. Biologist Travis Maitland in the state's Wenatchee office said the lake has received fish from fingerling size up to about a pound.

"But there's no way any of those fish could grow to the size of Herrin's trophy in three years," he said. "It must have been an anomaly -- maybe a few surplus brood stock fish, or something like that."