Angler catches 31-pound tiger muskie

Pineview Reservoir has given up a new state record.

Marc Anderson of Pleasant Grove caught a tiger muskie over the Memorial Day weekend that weighed in at 31 pounds, 11 ounces, was 49 inches long and had a girth of 23 inches.

He caught the fish while on a jig near Cemetery Point.

Utah fishing rules require that witnesses be listed on the Record Fish Certification. The rule also requires that fish be weighed on certified scales.

In the case of Marc's record catch, the witnesses were two very surprised and shocked employees of FedEx Kinko's in Ogden who were the only ones with a scale big enough to weigh the fish.

The previous record was a 31-pound, 4-ounce muskie caught by Roger S. Klug at Pineview in 2001.

DWR fisheries biologist Ben Nadolski measured the fish and was impressed that Marc was more interested in releasing the fish than getting the record.

"He said that he tried for a half hour to revive the fish to release it but was not able to," Nadolski said.

Nadolski noted that stunted yellow perch populations had a small effect on the growth and condition of the muskies. However, he said that population surveys of the reservoir last fall indicated that perch were on the rebound.

"With the perch coming back, you can count on great muskie fishing to continue," Nadolski said.

Marc is in the process of submitting his record fish paperwork to the Division of Wildlife Resources' Salt Lake City office. After his paperwork has been reviewed, he will receive a document certifying that he caught a new state record tiger muskie.

For a complete list of Utah's record fish and requirements for the record fish program, visit wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/recfish.html