Whoppers set new state fish records

A carp caught by Chase Stokes of Ferrisburgh and a redhorse sucker caught by Mike Elwood of Burlington in tributaries of Lake Champlain earlier this year have been certified as new Vermont state records.

Stokes, an accomplished youth angler, caught the carp in Otter Creek in Panton in April. The carp weighed 33.25 pounds, measured 40 inches and had a total girth of 26.5 inches at its widest point.

Elwood landed the redhorse sucker in the Winooski River in Colchester in May. The fish weighed 9.96 pounds, measured 29 inches and had a total girth of 18 inches.

The former record carp weighed 33 pounds and measured 35 inches, while the previous record redhorse sucker weighed 9 pounds and measured 27.5 inches.

The new records were made official this week after inspection by fisheries biologists from Vermont Fish & Wildlife. The records are for the traditional method of angling, in contrast to records for bowfishing, which are also recognized for both species.

“Fifteen state records have been set for individual species of fish since 2010, and that list will likely grow as more and more anglers chase many of Vermont’s lesser-known, non-traditional fish species,” said Shawn Good, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “We currently certify records for 41 different species of fish found in Vermont, so the opportunities for anglers to learn about and target trophy-class fish of a range of species are tremendous.”