A morning of mishaps ended with a monster lake trout in the hands of Red Lake resident Sam Boucha.
The 26-year-old was fishing close to home March 3 with partner Brad Molloy when they decided to try a different spot. Boucha then rigged a deadstick rod with a 3/8-ounce jighead and five-inch sucker.
“The fishing started off good. We caught a number of trout in no time, then at 11 a.m., while jigging my second rod, I saw the one in the holder go down. It was dead weight when I set the hook,” she said.
Boucha battled the laker for nearly an hour before realizing the giant fish wasn’t going to fit through the eight-inch hole. She passed the rod to Molloy and grabbed the trout just before it spit the hook.
“We decided to drill a second hole,” she said. “I had my arm all the way down to the shoulder holding on for dear life, scared that I was going to lose this trophy fish, while Brad drilled beside my arm, frightened he was going to cut me.”
Too heavy for the scale
The laker measured 47.75-inches with a 31-inch girth. It was too heavy for a 50-pound scale — the weight was estimated at more than 57 pounds. The critically injured fish couldn’t be released, but a mount is in the works.
“I’m extremely sad the fish didn’t survive but am grateful to have caught it in my hometown, on a favourite lake, and to have aided in MNRF research,” Boucha said. “I was taught by one of the best, Robert Boucha — so this one’s for you, dad.”
