Jean-Philippe Lartigue, a 65-year-old resident of Bethseda, Maryland, made headlines recently after breaking the state record for catching a massive rainbow trout. Lartigue, a former fisheries biologist, has been an avid angler since the age of 10 and has had many years of practice.
Lartigue was fishing along the Antietam Creek when he felt a strong pull on his line. With his years of experience, he instinctively knew that he had hooked something big. Holding on tight to his 12-foot crappie-style rod, he began a 30-minute long battle with the fish.
“Lartigue was fishing with a long, 12-foot crappie-style rod, spinning reel, eight-pound test monofilament line, a small split-shot weight and a No. 8 hook baited with a natural worm bait when he hooked the massive rainbow trout,” reported the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Maryland DNR).
Despite being in a rocky area and worried about his line snagging, Lartigue successfully reeled in the fish. Realizing that he did not have a net, he had to get in the water and catch it by hand. With the help of other fishermen at the site, Lartigue contacted the Maryland DNR to find the nearest weighing station.
Lartigue made his way to Ernst’s Country Market in Clear Spring to weigh his fish on a certified scale. The scale read an impressive 17.44 pounds, surpassing the previous state record by over 3 pounds. The catch measured 32 inches in length.
“We are extremely impressed by the weight of the fish, which bests the old record by over 3 pounds, a record that many of us in the department thought would never be broken,” said Erik Zlokovitz, the recreational fisheries outreach coordinator at the Maryland DNR.
The previous rainbow trout record in Maryland was set in 1987 with the fish weighing 14.2 pounds, making Lartigue’s catch truly remarkable. Lartigue expressed his gratitude to the young fishermen who helped him during the whole process, stating, “They did everything for me and everything went well. I would like to say thank you to all these people.”
Lartigue’s incredible achievement has made him feel proud and accomplished. Breaking the state record “feels good” for this seasoned fisherman.
