Enormous Walleye Caught This Week is New Montana State Record

Well, let's start with a corny joke and say that all these state records must mean there's something in the water.

In the span of about 10 months, 7 new state records records have been established for Montana anglers. And the latest one is a dandy for one of the more popular game fish in the state.

Our congratulations to Trevor Johnson of Helena, who reeled in a nearly three-foot-long walleye at Holter Lake near Helena. Johnson’s fish weighed in at 18.02 pounds on a certified scale, measured 32.25 inches in length, and 22 inches in girth. Trevor caught the record-setting fish on a jig. A walleye that size is probably in the 25-30-year-old range. The previous state walleye record was set in 2007 with a 17.75-pound fish from Tiber Reservoir.

Our recent state records have been caught by anglers with various levels of fishing experience and techniques applied. Like the guy who just recently caught the record largemouth bass who had never fished for bass before. He figured he'd just toss out a baited hook and watch Tik Tok videos. Or the fellow on the shores of Tiber just relaxing in a lawn chair.

In this case, Trevor Johnson is an experienced fishing guide and lure-maker. He and his father Kit Johnson own and operate Kit's Tackle out of the Helena area, and have developed some amazing lures, particularly for those who like to pitch jigs. Loyal customers eagerly await the release of new patterns of glass minnow jigs each year.

Our guess is that Trevor was using something made by Kit's Tackle. Would you agree?