Setting an IGFA Record
by Alan Jones
July 6, 2007
"I was out fishing
on Lake Superior with my dad, trolling a silver spoon on the surface, when all of a sudden he
yelled, 'Fish! Fish!'" says 9-year-old Haylee Mendenall. "So I grabbed the rod out of the holder
and hung on as the fish headed for the bottom. It must have gone down five times, but as it finally
started coming up, we saw it in 20 feet of water and thought it was a big salmon. When I finally
got it in the boat, nobody spoke for about 30 seconds. Then we started laughing and high-fiving ...
it was a huge lake trout."
"When Haylee's fish hit, it was pretty close to the surface," says her father, Perry
Mendenall, who runs Northbound Adventures fishing guide service in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, "The
rod bent straight down, and the fish dove down to more than 200 feet deep, so I knew it was a big
fish. Haylee wasn't sure if she could hang on. I told her that I would help her if she needed me,
but I had a feeling it could be a record. When
I told her the fish would be disqualified if I touched the rod, she hung on and brought it in
without help."
Haylee's dad knew that to set a world record, only the angler can touch the rod, reel or line
during the fight. In addition, he also knew you can't take a break by letting the rod rest against
the gunwale or keep it in a rod holder during the battle. It's OK for the rod to be in a holder
until the fish strikes, but an angler must remove it as soon as possible and hold it throughout the
fight. It's also permissible to use a belt or a fishing chair with a gimbal, which the butt of the
rod rests in.
You never know when you might catch a prospective record, so every angler should review the
rules on the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) website (www.igfa.org/BookRule2004.pdf) to see what
equipment and ground tackle is permissible, as well as to learn which techniques for fighting and
landing a fish are allowable. There are more than 7,000 categories available, including the
line-class records, which range from a 2-pound test line all the way to the all-tackle maximum of a
130-pound test line. For fly rod anglers, the tippet (the lightest line in the rig) strength runs
from a 2- to 20-pound test. For each species, there's also a maximum limit for line strength.
Junior angler records are for kids 11 to 16 years old, and there are both boys' and girls'
divisions. The same goes for the small-fry division, which is for kids 10 years old and
younger.
Although there are no line classes for kids' records, if you follow the correct procedures, a
junior angler record can also qualify for an "adult" record. To be eligible, anglers must submit
the entire leader, double line or tippet, and at least 50 feet of the single line to qualify for a
line-class record. But don't assume that because you bought a 12-pound test line at the tackle
store that you'll qualify in that class. In fact, it's almost certain that when it's tested, the
line will break at a higher level, so those who are serious about achieving a specific line-class
record should buy special (and more expensive) line that's guaranteed to break at or below the
advertised strength. You can even release the fish and still qualify for a record, provided that
you weigh the fish on a certified scale in front of a witness, take the necessary documentation and
photos of the fish on the scale, and create a photo record of a tape measure showing the girth and
length. While junior angler records can be weighed on a boat, all others must be weighed on land.
The weigh-in created some problems for Haylee's fish because it was originally weighed on her
dad's scale, which wasn't certified. Since you have to meet certain weight requirements to qualify
for an IGFA record, it looked like Haylee's fish might not be recognized as a world record, but her
dad wasn't going to give up without a fight.
Perry sent the scale to the IGFA to have it inspected, and it proved to be inaccurate. But
fortunately, the Mendenalls had kept the fish in the freezer in anticipation of having a mount
done, so they were still in the running, although the fish was losing weight every day in the
freezer due to dehydration. Haylee and her father then weighed it on a scale in the meat department
at a Save-A-Lot supermarket 45 miles away from their home in Munising, but that scale hadn't been
calibrated within 12 months, an IGFA requirement. So Perry called the DNR (Division of Natural
Resources) and asked for help. They discovered that a representative for the state's Bureau of
Weights and Measures was attending Michigan's Upper Peninsula State Fair, which was being held in
Escanaba. He graciously offered to drive an hour out of his way to Manistique to certify the
Save-A-Lot's scale.
The
next weekend, the fish was weighed again and tipped the scale at 20 pounds, 12 ounces, which was
about 2 pounds heavier than the previous record. About a month later, Haylee got an e-mail from the
IGFA informing her that she was an official world-record holder in the girl's small-fry division
for lake trout, and shortly thereafter, she received a certificate commemorating her achievement.
After setting the record, Haylee has become something of a local celebrity. "Since then,"
says Haylee, "I've been interviewed by the
Munising News,
The Mining Journal, TV 6, Field and Stream Radio, and now
Boating World magazine. It's pretty cool."
Although you might think setting out to break a state or world record would be an
insurmountable task, it's a more realistic goal than you think. Recently, the IGFA created new line
classes for fly fishing, and there are still several vacant records and many "soft" records that
shouldn't be too hard to beat. Since the small-fry category (10 and under) is relatively new, there
are still unfilled records just waiting for some lucky youngster to put his or her name in the
world- record books. The only minimum-size requirement to fill a vacant record is that the fish
weigh at least 1 pound. So with perseverance, skill and a little luck, almost any young angler can
achieve a world record.
Become A Member Of The IGFA
Young anglers who are serious about achieving a world record should belong to the IGFA, which
gives you access to the website's complete list of records. There's even a special section called
"IGFA Kids." A family membership is only $55. You not only get a lot for your money, but you're
also contributing to a great cause. The IGFA will also certify your hand scale if you're a member.
Visit
www.igfa.org for details.
Related Links:
Rules of the IGFA (http://www.igfa.org/BookRule2004.pdf)
www.igfa.org (http://www.igfa.org)