Colorado Record Laker Tops 50 Pounds

A Blue Mesa Reservoir angler caught a new Colorado state record lake trout May 23, besting the old record by nearly 4 pounds.

Don Walker caught a 50 pound, 5 ounce fish that measured 44 1/4 inches in length with a girth of 34 3/8 inches. The old record was a 46-pound, 14-ounce fish that was 42 1/2 inches long.

"I've been fishing there a long time," Walker said. "So when it hit I knew I had a big fish on."

Walker was fishing with a tube jig in 40 feet of water, bouncing the lure on the bottom. He said his graphite rod rigged with 12-pound test line was bent double and it took him 25 minutes to bring the fish to net.

"You've got to play a fish like that just right or you'll break the line," Walker said.

His wife, Paula, netted the fish and earned kudos from Walker for her net work.

"You need a lot of help with a fish like that, you need a good netter," Walker said. "Paula did a good job."