It was a monumental year for fishing in and under the waters of Washington State.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), eight state catch records were broken in the summer of 2022, including one in the eastern part of the state and two that were taken by eastern residents.
Among them was Hudson Terry, 15, of Ellensburg, who was deep-sea fishing in Neah Bay with his father on Aug. 6 when he hooked a 6.91-pound silver-gray rockfish with a copper pipe dragged by a plastic template.
The species that Terry landed was not listed in WDFW’s 2020 catch record report but was grouped under their “Other Rockfish” category.
Just one day after Terry landed his record catch, Cathy Clegg also hauled in a once-in-a-lifetime fish at Loon Lake, with a tiger trout weighing a whopping 27.42 pounds, breaking both the state such as the International Game Fish Association. records (IGFA).
Clegg’s record catch broke the previous mark (24.49 pounds) set by his son, Caylun Clegg, in June of last year. Both fish were hauled from the same dock at the Clegg’s summer cottage.
Other record-setting fish hauled in by anglers around Washington state this year included a 5.51-pound black rockfish and a 6.65-pound arrowtooth jig that were caught offshore from Neah Bay, along with a 5.6-pound star flounder, and a 1.88-pound flounder. spotted ratfish that were caught in Clallum Bay.
Anglers who set state records receive a certificate of recognition and a letter of congratulations from WDFW.
The oldest verified catch record in Washington dates back to 1943.