World Record Lake Trout: Beyond The Catch

Big fish news travels fast in angling circles, especially of a potential world record. I started hearing ramblings and seeing photos of a massive lake trout caught in Colorado the day after it was caught. As Colorado native, I was thrilled to learn that angler Scott Enloe caught this epic fish using a GSO Jig featuring a Trokar Hook, both made in Colorado. Excited to validate the story, I dove deeper into this life-changing catch.

When I contacted Scott and the Gunnison Sports Outfitters folks and immediately heard back from both. They confirmed that the jig used to catch Scott's gigantic laker was indeed a Trokar. My marketing mind began devising a plan to emphasize using a Trokar Hook, explain why Scott and GSO initially chose Trokar, and then circle back to highlight the importance of selecting the right fishhook. I was hoping to sneak in how, as a hook man and lifelong angler, whenever I hear someone say, "It's just a fishhook," I envision myself flying through the air with two boots pointed to their dome Macho Man Randy Savage style. The idea was solid. It may have worked better than what I'm about to write below, but as a lifelong angler, what I felt after talking with Scott is a story bigger than the biggest lake trout ever caught. 

One of the first things that stood out to me talking with Scott was his humbleness. This is a man that just caught the biggest lake trout ever. Let that marinate for a few seconds. I've fished my whole life, and I can't tell you with confidence I've ever caught the biggest fish in any of my favorite ponds. This dude just boat-raced the Colorado state record while also breaking the world record. At that point, he could have started talking about himself in the third person Clifford Franklin style (if you get that reference, you're awesome). Still, talking to him, I almost immediately got the sense that this man gets it, and the getting it I'm talking about extends well past fishing. 

Texting back and forth with Scott, he sent me a few videos, including the video where Hunter Enloe (Scott's son) nets the fish then Scott and Hunter immediately went to work measuring, weighing, and releasing the fish. The precision they executed every movement throughout the video was incredible. The kind of synchronicity that only comes from repetition over long periods of time. There were no wasted movements. Absolutely everything Hunter and Scott did had purpose. They were a well-oiled machine, a team. If netting, measuring, respecting, and releasing giant fish was an Olympic sport, the Enloe's would undoubtedly represent the USA. That isn't the story though. The fish isn't the story either. The Enloe's, they're the story. By now you're probably thinking I'm nuts. You clicked this hoping to get GPS coordinates of where they caught the fish, the exact bait they used, and a thesis on why Trokar is the hook choice of world record holders. That's the safe play here, but I'd be doing the world, myself, Eagle Claw, and of course, the Enloe's a disservice by making this all about a single fish regardless of how big that fish is. 

In the video, you can feel the shared joy from both anglers immediately after Hunter nets Scott's fish. You can also feel an awestruck confusion with what they had on the deck of their boat. Hunter looks at his dad and says, "Dad, what did you catch" to which Scott quickly replies, "That has to be a 50 or 60 pounder". Neither angler at this point truly understands what they're looking at. How could they? No angler is thinking world record at any lake trout fishery in Colorado. Anglers who put in a ridiculous amount of time might flirt with the idea of a 50 and claiming a new state record. Still, many folks I know who're die-hard laker anglers felt that the glory days of true giant lake trout in Colorado were behind us. For Scott and Hunter, who've put countless hours chasing and catching tons of lakers in the 30–40-pound class, to see something that makes those fish look small had to be hard to process. The Enloe's didn't let anything slow down the process of quickly and efficiently documenting and then carefully releasing the fish of many lifetimes. 

I love that Scott's fish on paper doesn't make sense in a world where every bit of information we could ever dream of is at our fingertips. It proves that mother nature marches to the beat of her own drum, and if she wants to grow a world-record lake trout in Colorado, she will. I also love that Scott's fish and the story surrounding the fish reminds us that through fishing, we all have access to moments where time stands still. The only way those moments get better is by sharing them with someone who truly understands the moment as you do. This fish is one of many special moments Scott and Hunter have shared in the outdoors. I'm forever thankful for a gigantic lake trout leading me to Scott and Hunter to serve as another reminder why we love fishing so much. 

I asked Scott many fishing questions, some of course about the Trokar hook point that helped seal the deal on this record-breaking fish… We'll talk about that in another blog. The most important question I asked Scott was this:

"Scott, as an angler, I love that your fish has pushed the bounds of what many of us thought was possible! If we put our time in and control the controllables by selecting the right gear when we get a magic opportunity, we can make the most of it as you did. As a father and son myself, seeing that moment you guys were able to share is what fishing is all about. You guys spend a lot of time together in the outdoors. Are there any tips you'd give parents in getting their kids involved in the outdoors?

"Hunter and I spend an incredible amount of time together in the outdoors. Hunter sat on my lap at the age of 5 and killed his first deer. It's hard to take a 5 year old hunting and fishing but it is so worth it! My entire immediate family have always hunted and fished together. I encourage every Father and Mother to take the time to take their kids fishing, hunting or hiking or whatever it is to get them in the outdoors. Take a kid out looking with you now, so you are not out looking for your kid later in life!" -Scott Enloe Potential World Record Angler,Confirmed Hall Of Fame Father. 

Scott's fish weighed 73.29 pounds crushing the Colorado state record by more than 20 pounds and the current IGFA World Record by over a pound. This fish will inspire anglers worldwide to push past preconceived notions of what's possible and where it's possible. The story of this catch is much bigger than the fish itself. Fishing is a journey filled with mystery and magic, and just like life, we never truly know what's possible. As anglers, we invest everything into chasing moments, hoping to hook up with a mega-giant. But beyond that, the beauty of fishing lies in the unknown – the anticipation, the thrill, the hope that somewhere beneath the surface lies something that could change our lives forever.

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