Possible New State Record
Brown Trout Caught on the Cumberland River
Sunday afternoon April 30th, about 4PM Tom Malone of
Crofton, in Christian County Kentucky, brought
what he
thought was just a real nice Brown Trout to Strange Bait
and Tackle in Burkesville to have it weighed.
The fish was weighed and photographed at
Strange’s by an employee. About 10 minutes later
Chuck Strange
walked in and was told of the monster fish.
Chuck says he asked the employee "You did get a
picture
didn’t you?".
Turns out the fish is PROBABLY the new state record
Brown Trout. It is awaiting certification by the State
Biologist. The fish weighed in at 21 pounds even and the
weigh in was witnessed by 3 people and 2 pictures
were
taken. Mr. Malone was filling out the papers when I
contacted him at home today, and all that was left
was
certification by the Wildlife Biologist.
Cudo’s go to Chuck Strange for catching this new
record. Neither the employee or Mr. Malone new the fish
was a record and it was through the work of Chuck at
Strange Bait and tackle that the fish will be certified
as
the record. Chuck tracked Mr. Malone down and met him
at the ramp in Burkesville on Monday to make sure
that
Mr. Malone new he had the record fish and assisted him in
getting needed paperwork and other information
for
certification of the record. Chucks first question was
"You didn’t clean that fish did you?"
Mr. Malone is a welder from Crofton Ky., as I
mentioned above and was on vacation. Seems that last year
he
went on 2 guided trips with Randall Gibson for
stripers and has sort of become addicted to striper
fishing in the
river with his biggest fish being a 20 pounder.
He purchased the Rat-L-Trap lure he caught the fish on
in Clarksville Tennessee. He saw 3 of them and really
liked the fact it was almost 4" long and weighed an
ounce. The Shad colored lure was purchased for the later
Striper Fishing Trip.
Sunday he picked up his Zebco 888 spinning reel and 2
other rods and reels and headed for the Cumberland
River.
Another rod and reel was broke so he took the old 888 as
a back up since there were 3 members of the
family and
only 2 level winds left. He started throwing the 1 Ounce
Rat-L-Trap and says "it sounded like a rock
hitting
the water", and he "was sure every fish in the
river was running for it’s life".
About 2PM he hooked into the big fish about 3 miles
above the ramp at Burkesville, and worked it down 300
yards of river loosening and tightening the drag on the
10 year old reel as he went. Mr. Malone says all he
thought about was "that the darn line was 10 years
old and when was it going to break". Shows you the
versatility of the
Zebco Spinning reels when used
properly. After a 20 minute fight that probably seemed
like an eternity the fish
was landed and later taken to
Strange Bait and Tackle near the Boat ramp at
Burkesville.
The fish will be sent to a taxidermist and will be
shown at Strange Bait and Tackle for a year. I will be
getting
pictures soon and they will be posted here and on
Strange Bait and Tackles Web Page. Keep an eye on the
discussion baord and I will update you on the
certification and the day I get the pictures of the Fish
and the
Lure he used.
Jim Dicken
UPDATE: The fish has been certified as a Brown Trout
by the Game Warden. The paperwork has to go
to Frankfort,
and then the fish will probably be recognized as the new
record. Watch here for details.
Update: June 8, 2000 a press release from the KDFWR
states that the fish caught by Tom Malone is a
certifed
State Record Brown Trout.
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