Inky was in to see me today. He said the Lower Quinault has been blown out since mid-November, but in the last day or two, viz has improved enough to do a little plunking.... the secret is "dark, stinky eggs"

Anyway, he also shared a pic of the largest steelhead of the 2002 season.... 35.8# on the certified scale at the fish-house in Taholah. Those Quinaults sure know how to grow 'em big.

hats one big arse fish!!!
Wonder what that bad boy would do on the end of a line...

zzzz SNAP

yep thats a pig!!!

was it netted or sport caught?

Doesn't look like it was netted. No net marks. It's kind of hard to tell, though.

That fish measured 44 inches in length from its nose to the center of the fork in its tail and had a girth of 25½ inches. If that ain't a hog I don't know what is. I've only caught one winter steelhead longer than 40 inches. Unlike the one pictured, mine was not caught with a net.

Too bad one of us didnt catch it. Hawg!

I think I remember from 2 yrs. ago that fish had made it back to the trap?

Uh oh, Ethan is making that face again!



I'm with Ethan on this one!

So very true Parker!!!

The biggest Steelhead I ever caught, I was fishing with Tandy. I have hooked a couple out there that just went right on up the River like they didn't even know they were hooked.

We will ask him about that one.

Nyyyyce! Feeesh

Nice fish!!!
Is it just me or does that look alot like a king?

At nearly 36#, that would have been a nice king in anybody's book. But a 36# steelie.... that's truly exceptional. Odds of winning the lottery are probably better than landing a trophy steelhead like that!

I just bought myself a Nerf football and some plastic for wings.

I'm gonna craft a Spin-n-Glo and plunk for one of those things.

Man, that thing could eat some of the fish I've caught this year.........whole.

This is why the Quinault is one of the few truly trophy steelhead rivers in Washington. In my book it is the best river we've got that gives us a chance at a real trophy. I think bigger steelhead have been caught in the nets.

I heard of a 38# being caught out of the netts on the Hoh back in the early 90"s.

One was caught in the netts on the Quileute in April 91 that was 37#

i saw a 42 pounder taken on the quinault in the 70's and saw one bigger than that on the upper river in 2002. the one in the picture above is in my office.

Bardo

So was that fish caught with a net or with sport gear?

The world record Steelhead caught on rod and reel was a 50 pound Steelhead caught up in Alaska by some kid fishing for halibut out in bay.
I can only dream of a 30 pounder

Im not sure but I do believe I see a snag mark on that steel!!!

I caught my largest steelie in the upper Q on a fly. Unlike that one I released mine. Come to think of it, it would have been that big by now. What a way to end, in a net, in a fish house, for what, a buck a pound

KF85

For the record (literally), the largest steelhead taken on sport tackle weighed 42 pounds and was taken by then 8 yr old Seattlite David White while fishing the saltchuck off of Ketchikan back in 1970. For more about this remarkable fish, click on this link and scroll halfway down the article:

world record steelhead

this is the picture of that same fish. i had a fiberglass repo done. it was caught in a net by elmer, and i bought it from him. it was closer to 37 pounds. the fish house scales are not too accurate

Anybody else find it hard to believe an 8 year old kid fought that fish without any help. I fish a number of kids on my boat every summer and have yet to see a kid under 12 handle a fish over 30 lbs. by themselves, I could be wrong but I'm calling BS on this story. Apparently IGFA bought it though, guess thats all that matters.

Boinnnnnng!

Nice mount there Bardo. What else you got hanging on the walls around there?

Prepare to drool !

Let's have it bardo..............

ok dan, here is a 100 pound kenai king that is now hanging on my wall. its so big, that the photo looks doctored, but it is the real thing. i also have another 40 pound quinault steelie, a 25 +pound quinault silver, and a couple 32 pound quinault steelies.

Well, my workday is now shot....sounds like a hell of a collection.

You have these in your office? How do you get anything done. I'd sit around drooling all day...

What were the dimensions on that giant king? Is that 100# weight an estimate or from a certified scale? Was it caught in one of the east-side setnets?

Leave it to bardo to WRECK a guy for a day of work.

Dang, man.........those are some quality repros.

don't work too hard dan. the length is 61" and the girth is 38. it was taken in a net and weighed on a scale. a few ounces more than 100 pounds

Was that beast caught in 2003 or 2002?

2002

Bardo

2002 marked a very special year for the Kenai, the first 'big fish' year after a rather long drought. 2003 proved to be another exceptional year for big fish.

These big 5-ocean hawgs have a seven-year life cycle. The next most recent 'big fish' year was 1995 when a number of fish in the 80's were taken with sport gear, with a 91 pounder eventually taking top honors.

With the recent improvements in ocean conditions for growing large salmon, maybe we are entering another cycle of bonafide record-challenging Kenai hawgs. Can't wait til July!

Bardo

What are the chances you can post a real-life photo of that 100-plus king at the time of capture?

Thanks

no picture available. sorry

Thank God there's no picture available. I couldn't take the humility of wetting myself at work. I"ll bring a pull up to work in case you ever find it. Hey Bardo, How goes it? I'll send you an e-mail this weekend to shoot the breeze. Peace.

FishN Physician: I'm going to be heading back up to Soldotna to fish with Bob and Corey next summer. Hopefully it will be a two week trip. Maybe I'll get a chance to meet you up there. I get a kick out of your posts. I'm going to be talking to Bob, because I might want to try and book a day trip ont he Kenai, just so I can crack off a real hog.

I have to go now, and curl up in a ball. It was 28 below zero with no windchill this morning. Right now the wind is honkin at about 25 knots. You can freeze spit in midair. Nice effect! Peace