Almost a World Record Paddlefish

During a guided trip on Keystone last Friday, Justin Hamlin caught the fish of a lifetime. The estimated 157 pound behemoth paddlefish would eclipse the current world record by more than an estimated 10 pounds and would have smashed our state record of 132 pounds! However, state regulations for more than a decade have required all paddlefish snagged on Mondays and Fridays be released immediately to help protect these unique fish from overharvest. The fish was not eligible to be recorded as a state and world record. But the good news is that Justin released the fish and it is still out there for someone to catch again.