The Genius Detail Behind New York’s Latest Record Fish

There's a brand new record for a brook trout in New York State, but for once, the massive size of the fish might not be the most impressive part of the catch.

With fishing season in full swing in New York, anglers across the state are casting their lines. 2025 has already been a successful year for record-breaking catches... and one was even by accident.

Fish Records Set in New York State

Back in June, upstate New York fisherman Alex Pidhorodeckyj was on the prowl for walleye and northern pike. Instead, he reeled in a 4 lb. 1 oz. fallfish (above). The happy accident led to Pidhorodeckyj breaking a 16-year-old state record. But that's not all.

Record Catfish Caught from Black Water Bay in New York State

The month before, a mammoth catfish was caught from Black Water Bay in Jefferson County, NY (above). The 37 lb. 9 oz. channel catfish was large enough to break the record previously set in 2022. Neither record, however, had the quick-thinking ingenuity of what just happened in the Adirondacks.

Record Brook Trout Caught in the Adirondacks

On a recent backcountry fishing trip, New York resident Benjamin Ferguson caught what both he and his fishing partner knew would be a record-setting brook trout. From the Adirondack Hunt podcast:

When I got a pretty good look at it [for the first time] I said "oh my god, this is a lot bigger than anything I've ever seen before... we discussed trying to get out [of the woods] that night and go weight it somewhere, but it was just about dark

Quick Thinking to Preserve Record-Breaking Fish in the Adirondacks

With daylight fading, the duo knew they wouldn't be able to get an official measurement that day, and that's when creative thinking came into play. Ferguson shared that to keep the fish wet, he and his fishing partner thought outside the box:

We didn't want anything to get at it over night so we took Shawn's boat and we scooped some water into his boat, flopped the fish into that, and shoved it off of shore a little bit just enough so an [animal] couldn't get it

While anglers from across the state have congratulated Ferguson on the special catch (as well as the manner he was finally able to get it to a certified scale to confirm his record), the scene played out a lot differently from what happened on the St. Lawrence River in 2024.

Read More: Why New York's Latest Record-Setting Bass Might Not Count

In September 2024, Dante Piraino caught what would be a record-setting smallmouth bass. Similar to Ferguson, there wasn't an easy way for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to confirm the weight of the fish without waiting days (and killing the fish), so Pirano elected to release his catch instead.

Luckily, the certified scales at Pirano's fishing tournament were enough for NYS DEC officials, and his smallmouth catch was eventually confirmed as a new state record. Check out current state records here before heading out on your next fishing trip, and see some strange New York records below.