Fishermen lose a line landing record lunker

By Ryan Woodard, Journal Staff Writer | Wednesday, January 03, 2007

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It took two ice fishermen, one snapped line and a 30-minute fight, but the record for the largest brook trout caught in South Dakota has been broken.

Ryan Rempfer, 22, of Rapid City hauled in an 11-pound 3-ounce brook trout Saturday at Deerfield Lake, breaking the old state record, a 9-pound 3-ounce brook trout caught at the lake in 2004.

“It’s awesome,” Rempfer said. “I can’t believe it.”

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks fisheries program manager Gene Galinat confirmed Tuesday that he was told by state administrators that the fish will be approved as a record after the paperwork clears at GF&P offices in Pierre.

“(It’s a) pretty phenomenal brook trout,” Galinat said.

Brook trout caught by fishermen usually average between 6 and 9 inches, Galinat said. Rempfer’s fish was 30 inches and had a 12-inch rainbow trout in its stomach.

Although Rempfer caught the fish and will likely get sole credit for the record, he wasn’t the only one who hooked it.

Rempfer and friend David Bush were fishing near Dutchman point on Deerfield Lake about 9 a.m. Saturday morning when the big fish struck. For both of them.

“We both had it hooked,” Bush said. “Our lines went down at the same time. Both of our poles went down right at the same time.”

After a brief fight with both anglers, the trout snapped Bush’s 6-pound test fishing line after Bush nearly had the fish up to his hole. That left an intimidating task for Rempfer and his 3-pound line.

“I looked down in the hole and saw how big he was,” Rempfer said. “When my friend’s line snapped, I go, ‘OK, this is going to last for a few minutes, and then it’s over.’”

But Rempfer said he was able to bring the fish in after a very patient 30-minute fight. He said he decided to take his time after he saw how well he had the fish hooked.

“He took a good couple runs, took about 100 to 200 feet of line out. I just played him a little bit. (I) didn’t put too much tension on there. … I knew I could play him a little bit.”

Bush said he was disappointed initially when the fish broke his line but quickly cheered for his friend.

“I told him, ‘It’s all yours; I hope you get it in,’” Bush said.

Rempfer said he made sure to tell GF&P officials of Bush’s involvement in the catch.

An enthusiastic fisherman, Rempfer was overwhelmed by the experience.

“It’s the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. I’m a big fisherman. I love to fish. I would fish every day of the year if I could,” he said.

It took a few days to determine whether the fish was a brook trout or splake, Galinat said. Both fish are common at Deerfield Lake and are very difficult to tell apart. Galinat said he had to take out the fish’s intestines and stomach to count the number of Pyloric Caece, tiny offshoots used in digestion, to determine the fish’s type. He found 55 of the Pyloric Caece, which he said matches the range normally found in brook trout.

Galinat said Rempfer followed proper procedure by having the fish weighed on a state-certified scale — which, in this case, was done at Highway Hardware in Hill City — and by bringing it to GF&P offices.

Rempfer, who caught the fish on a jig, said he plans to have it mounted.

“It was fun. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. I just love it,” he said.

The world record brook trout is a 14.5-pound, 34.5-inch-long brook trout caught in 1916.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com