KEMMERER, Wyo. — Jaxon Krall, a 13-year-old from Kemmerer, has set a new state record for catching the largest tiger trout.
Krall caught his 12.77-pound fish in the Viva Naughton Reservoir outside of Kemmerer in late July, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). His catch outweighed the previous record holder by almost a full pound. That fish weighed in at 11.93 pounds.
“I was fishing for anything that would bite, but I knew when I hooked it that it was big,” Krall said.
Krall added that he thinks there are even bigger tiger trout out there in the reservoir.
Tiger trout are cross between a brook trout and a brown trout, and can’t reproduce. WGFD has been stocking Viva Naughton with the species every year starting in 2014 in the hopes that their presence would help curb the reservoir’s Utah chub population.
Tiger fish are aggressive predators with a sufficient food supply, which helps them grow to large sizes.
“We see them predominantly close to shore down to 25 feet of water,” said Robb Kieth, fisheries supervisor for WGFD in the Green River Region.
For those hoping to catch their own tiger trout, Keith offered a tip: “They are found close to structures. They are eating shiners and Utah chubs, so anglers should choose lures, flies and baits that resemble these forage fish,” he advised.
