7 State Record Fish Caught In Montana Within Last 9 Months

A person holding a large fish
MFWP

With six new state records on the books already in 2021, arguably no state is hotter when it comes to the fishing action than Missouri. 

Although, the state of Montana might have something to say about that.

7 new state record fish have been caught in Montana over the last 9 months, which probably means it eclipses Missouri as the hottest fishing hole in the country.

Not only have more record breaking fishing been caught in Montana, the overall combined weight of the record fish in Montana blew past the total weight of the record fish in Missouri.

In Montana, the 7 record breaking fish added up to a total of 105-pounds and 9-ounces. By comparison, the 6 record breaking fish from Missouri only tipped the scales at a collective 57-pounds and 14-ounces.

The most recent fish titles to fall in Montana were the states walleye record, and the largemouth bass record before that.

The record breaking bass weighed 9-pounds 9-ounces and was caught by Brandon Wright towards the end of April.

“Here’s the new pending Montana state record largemouth bass, caught by Brandon Wright of Billings.

Weighed on a certified scale and FWP has been notified. 9 pounds 9 ounces of green dynamite. Brandon believes this is the same fish that weighed 8/8 out of this lake last year.

Caught on a live worm by a Texas native, while fishing for trout!”

Montana’s new record breaking walleye tipped the scales at over 18 pounds and was caught by Trevor Johnson on May 10th.

“New Montana State Record Walleye!

Trevor Johnson was fishing Holter Lake on May 10 when the 18.02-pound monster bit, topping the 2007 record of 17.75 pounds.”

The state record for longnose sucker was also broken earlier this year, as a new heavyweight was hoisted out of the Missouri River at the end of March.

Weighing in at 3-pounds 4-ounces, the little sucker made Jacob Bernhardt from Great Falls the new state record holder for the species.

“Great Falls angler lands state record longnose sucker!

The latest fish is a longnose sucker from the Missouri River caught on March 26. Weighing in at 3.42 pounds, the 20.1-inch sucker was landed by Jacob Bernhardt of Great Falls while fishing in Cascade County.”

Another state record was previously broken in February of 2021, this one being perhaps the most impressive fish on the entire list.

Montana’s state record for brown trout had been on the books since 1966 before Robbie Dockter broke the 55-year-old record with a 32-pound 6-ounce fish he pulled out of the Marias River.

“Robbie Dockter of Conrad now holds the new Montana state brown trout record.

The brown weighed in at 32.43 lbs, breaking the old state record of 29 lbs which was caught in 1966. Congrats Robbie!”

The tiniest fish on the list is the record breaking yellow bullhead catfish, which checked in at just 1-pound 9-ounces. The fish was caught in December of 2020, and although the record is verified there are no public photos or details about the catch.

Two months before that record fell, Montana’s smallmouth bass record was reset in October of 2020. Theron Thompson hauled in a 7-pound 8-ounce smallie out of the Fort Peck Reservoir.

“It’s official! Congratulations to Theron Thompson on his 7.84 Smallmouth.”

The Fort Peck Reservoir is the same body of water that produce the states new record chinook salmon, which was caught in August of 2020. That fish tipped the scales at a whopping 32-pounds and a half ounce.

The previous record had been in place for 29 years until Greg Hauge from North Dakota broke it while fishing in Montana last summer.

“Bismarck’s airport director has landed a Chinook salmon that puts his name in the Montana record book.”

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