Utah Angler Shatters Idaho Lake Trout Record

A Unique Fishing Adventure

Aaron Goettsche, a 39-year-old experienced lake trout fisherman, has spent years mastering the art of trolling for lake trout on Utah's Flaming Gorge Reservoir. This body of water is well-known among anglers for its impressive lake trout population. However, Goettsche isn't one to stay in one place. He enjoys taking his skills and passion for fishing to new locations.

Each year, he and his family embark on a special trip. This year, they chose to rent a house near Payette Lake, a 5,000-acre lake located in west-central Idaho, close to the town of McCall. Goettsche has been fishing Payette for a few years now, gradually learning how to catch the lake's lakers. This year, he made the effort to trailer his 20-foot aluminum Wellcraft boat nearly 500 miles from his home in Stansbury Park, Utah, to Idaho—just to use the deep trolling techniques he’s perfected on Flaming Gorge.

The initial fishing experience at Payette was a bit slow, but the group soon found their rhythm. During one session, Goettsche's uncle, Jim, caught a notable fish. After taking some pictures and releasing it, they didn’t think much about its size or potential record status. However, after checking the state record, they realized that the fish might have been larger than the current record.

This discovery sparked a new level of focus for the Goettsche group. Over the course of the week, they caught and released a dozen lake trout, each weighing 20 pounds or more. Then, on June 19, while fishing alone, Aaron hooked a massive trout in 80 feet of water. He was trolling a large wooden plug 20 feet down off a downrigger.

"The fish was big and fought hard and deep," said Goettsche, who owns Valley Forklift, LLC. "I had hooked three others before this one, and I lost them all—each of them was also big."

Goettsche spent about 15 minutes battling the fish using one of his handmade "Mama Hog Fishing Rods." These fiberglass rods are specifically designed for deep trolling with revolving-spool reels. On that day, he used 50-pound-test line with a 30-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. He did not reveal the specific plug he used during the catch.

"I could tell it was a big fish by the way it was running, rolling, and twisting," Goettsche explained. "It wouldn’t settle down and was fighting hard near my boat. I was really worried I was going to lose it like the other three I had that morning."

Despite the challenge, Goettsche managed to net the fish, capturing a video of the moment and taking photos of himself with the trout in his boat. He documented the fish's length as 42 inches in the photos and then released it back into Payette Lake.

Afterward, he submitted the photos along with a length record application to Idaho's Department of Fish and Game (IDFG). On July 18, the state officials announced that Goettsche's laker had become the new state record for catch-and-release lake trout. His fish surpassed the previous record by half an inch, which was set by Dylan Smith from Payette Lake in 2018.

State officials noted that Payette Lake is experiencing a resurgence in big lake trout after years of declining numbers. The forage populations had decreased, but recent improvements have led to more anglers catching and releasing large lake trout. These fish grow very slowly, often taking years to reach double-digit weight sizes.

After Goettsche's record-breaking catch was officially recognized, he was contacted by Dylan Smith, the previous record holder. Smith expressed his congratulations, acknowledging Goettsche's achievement.

"I've caught lake trout up to 47 pounds from Flaming Gorge, and I know there are bigger fish in Payette. They're such a great gamefish. I'll definitely have a replica mount made of my 42-incher, which helped make our summer family trip special," Goettsche said in a phone interview while catching a 20-pound lake trout on Flaming Gorge.