Huge tiger trout caught at Scofield Reservoir

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It looks like a new state record tiger trout has been caught in Utah.
Last week, after a day of fishing at Scofield Reservoir in central Utah, an excited Trent Peery dropped by the Division of Wildlife Resources’ office in Springville.
A resident of Santaquin, Peery stopped by the office to ask fisheries biologists to measure a gigantic tiger trout he caught earlier that day.
Peery was hoping the trout would break the existing Utah state record held by Michael Moon.
In 2007, Moon caught a tiger trout that measured 29 1/2 inches and weighed 10 pounds, 12 ounces. Moon’s fish had a girth measurement of 17 1/8 inches.
Moon caught the tiger in Palisades Reservoir just south of Manti.
After Regional Aquatic Manager Mike Slater measured Peery’s fish, Peery’s hope was realized-his tiger trout not only beat the state record, its weight smashed it.
Peery’s fish measured 32 1/4 inches long and weighed 15 pounds. The fish had a girth measurement of 20 inches.
The paperwork that will make Peery’s catch official has been sent to the DWR’s Salt Lake City office to be finalized.
“It’s worth noting that Trent also caught another tiger trout the same day that measured approximately 25 inches,” says Brent Stettler, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. “There appears to be more large fish under the ice right now.
“The ice fishing season isn’t over at Scofield,” Stettler says. “There may yet be another state record out there.”
A tiger trout is a cross between a brown trout and a brook trout.
Current conditions
DWR Conservation Officer Devin Christensen says fishing at Scofield ranges from fair to good. The ice is 25-30 inches thick.
Christensen says anglers who are catching the biggest fish are using spoons or lures such as Kastmasters, tipped with chunks of chub meat.
To stay updated on ice fishing at Scofield and other waters in Utah, visit the DWR’s weekly fishing report. The report is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots.