Alaska Trophy Fish
The image of a fisherman holding up a fish almost as long as he is tall sits squarely in the minds of many who seek the ultimate catch. The state of Alaska recognizes this and keeps records of trophy fish, issuing certificates for kept fish as well as for those caught and released.
All you need to get your certificate is a witness, a Trophy Fish official, and a scale approved by the Division of Weights and Measures. Then you submit an affidavit and a good picture of you and the prized fish to Juneau, and you're in the record books - or Web site, as is now the case. Learn about Alaska fishing regulations, then plan your trophy fishing trip!
Check out these photos:
Jack Tragis' nearly 500-pound halibut caught 1996 in Unalaska Bay:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/trophy/images/tragis.jpg
Rosemary Roberts' 38-pound rockfish caught in Prince William Sound, 2001:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/trophy/images/rockfish-38-11x.jpg
A 76-pound lingcod caught off Valdez by Antwan Tinsley in 2001:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/trophy/images/ling76-10xx.jpg
A 35-pound steelhead pulled out of the Anchor River by Robin Ronald Purvis in 1995:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/trophy/images/purvis.jpg
These are trophy fish certificate holders. Some of the state records go back as far as 1970, as is the case for steelhead/rainbow trout, a record held by David White, who secured a 42-pound fish on Bell Island that year. Brook trout, a new species, as of yet has no record, so that field is wide open. No one has topped the standing records since 2002, when Mike Curtiss landed a 27-pound arctic char from the Wulik River. A complete list of state record holders can be found here: http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/trophy/record.cfm