Erie Man Catches Record-Breaking Brown Trout From Lake Erie

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

ERIE, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has announced a new state record.

A 20-pound, 9-ounce brown trout was caught Aug. 8 by Robert Ferraro of Erie, beating the previous state record by 11 ounces. It was also set by an angler from Erie in 2000.

The new record-breaking brown trout measured 33.75 inches long, with a girth of 21.125 inches.

The commission says the 68-year-old man and three friends were fishing in the Lake Erie area known as the Condos, which is located east of Walnut Creek and west of the Peninsula.

"We had been fishing in the same area the day before and caught some steelhead and walleye," said Ferraro in a release. "The water temperature at the bottom of the lake had become warmer overnight and we were not having as much luck. We were just about to go looking for cooler water when our luck changed."

Ferraro said it took 10 minutes to reel the massive fish in.

"It was a huge thrill to catch such a big fish, but we didn't know exactly what it was at first. We suspected it was a brown trout," said Ferraro in a release. "We know they're in here, but the biggest ones I've caught before were around 12 pounds, and this fish was over 20 pounds. It had a very dark back and some silver coloring on the body that made us question what it was for a minute. We knew if it was a Brown Trout, it had a great chance to be a record."

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says the brown trout is a large female that is 6 or 7 years old.