Most fish stories come with a little exaggeration—but Steve Miller (not from the Steve Miller Band) from Montana City believes he has the real deal on his hands.
While fishing at Canyon Ferry (yes, Canyon Ferry), Miller landed what he’s calling an “unofficial state record” pike weighing 37.6 pounds and measuring 48 inches long. The current Montana state record pike was caught in 1971 by Lance Moyer and weighed 37.5 pounds. But here’s the part that’s really flipping fins: the fish was released…full of eggs….back into Canyon Ferry Reservoir.
Not only did Steve let the beast go, she swam off ready to pass on her big-fish genes. Talk about catch and release with a plot twist.
“No official scale, just one unforgettable catch,” Miller said. And while it won’t show up in the record books, as it wasn’t certified, it’s definitely swimming around in everyone’s heads—and probably haunting a few tackle boxes.
The moral of the story is that Canyon Ferry just got a lot more interesting. And Steve Miller may have just become officially unofficially legendary.
If you think you have a record breaking fish, click here (or see below) for the process to get it certified.
- To prevent loss of weight, do not clean or freeze the fish. Keep the fish cool—preferably on ice.
- Take a picture of the fish.
- Weigh the fish on a certified scale (found in grocery store or hardware store, etc.), witnessed by a store employee or other observer. Obtain a weight receipt and an affidavit from the store personnel if no FWP official is present. Measure the length and girth.
- Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified by a Fisheries Biologist or Manager.
- Fill out the Fish Record Form and send it to:
Attn: State Records
Fisheries Division
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
PO Box 200701
Helena, MT 59620-0701
