New State Record for Large Sucker Fish Captured at Noxon Reservoir

NOXON — A new state record for large-scale suckerfish has been caught by a 12-year-old in Sanders County.

Wade Merschat caught the record fish in Noxon Reservoir using an earthworm on June 19. The fish weighed 6.72 pounds and was 25.25 inches long.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) biologists verified the state record fish catch and issued the state record certificate on July 1.

The previous record was set in 2008 at Woodland Park Pond in Kalispell. The largescale suckerfish is a native fish and its maximum size is usually less than five pounds.

FWP maintains the record fish list online at https://fwp.mt.gov/fish/anglingData/records.

Anglers who believe they have caught a state record fish should follow these steps:

• To avoid weight loss, do not clean or freeze fish. Store in a cool place, preferably on ice.
• Take a picture of the fish.
• Weigh the fish on a certified scale (available at a grocery store, hardware store, etc.) with a store employee or other observer present. Obtain a weighing receipt and affidavit from store personnel if no FWP official is present. Measure length and girth.
• Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified by a fisheries biologist.