New York DEC confirms new state record brook trout from the Adirondacks

Croghan, N.Y. — It’s been 12 years since New York’s brook trout record was last broken. But Ben Ferguson’s 6-pound, 3-ounce brookie, landed July 5 in the St. Regis Canoe Area in the Adirondacks, resets the bar for New York’s official state fish.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed the record catch, which measured 22 inches, on July 16. 

Ferguson, 32, and his fishing buddy, Shawn Widrick, both of Croghan in Lewis County, were spending three days over the July 4 weekend fishing remote trout ponds in the SRCA in their lightweight pack-boats. The fishing had been slow, but during the later part of the afternoon on the last day of the trip the two anglers were still at it.

“The day before, we didn’t have any luck, didn’t have a bite,” Ferguson said. “So, we were just sitting on the pond being patient. I did end up catching a little bit smaller fish shortly before hooking into this one.”

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Ferguson continued trolling the classic brook trout rig: a Lake Clear Wabbler trolling spoon with a worm trailer and got another bite. 

“I’d say I fought it for four or five minutes and I got it to the boat – that’s where most of the fight happened, was when it got to the boat,” he said. “I missed it with the net a couple of times. It was pretty nerve-wracking getting that thing in the net. It didn’t seem big enough.”

Ferguson knew he had a special fish, one bigger than the experienced angler had ever caught before. Once on shore, he weighed the fish and told Widrick he may be flirting with the state record. 

“Everyone’s hoping you’ll maybe catch something big. You know, you’re always, I guess looking for that record, but at the same time we’re still just fishing,” he said. “I wouldn’t say we really do anything any different. A lot of it is luck.”

The anglers took precautions to keep the fish alive and protect it from scavengers. The next morning they broke camp and hiked back to civilization where they took the fish to Red Barn Meats, also in Croghan, where the fish officially was weighed at 6-pounds, 3-ounces. They also made contact with DEC, who Ferguson said confirmed his catch was the new state record.   

Ferguson’s catch bested the former brook trout record by 3 ounces. That fish, which was exactly 6 pounds, was caught in the Silver Lake Wilderness in May 2013 by Richard Beauchamp, also on a Lake Clear Wabbler. Previous state record brook trout were caught in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness, Raquette Lake and the Oswegatchie River, all in the Adirondacks. 

The timing of Ferguson’s catch is significant, as DEC fisheries staff recently wrapped up a draft Adirondack Brook Trout Management Plan that solicited public comments through the end of June. Among other items, the plan proposed to make the entire Adirondack Park off limits to using live baitfish, with a long list of exceptions and will see DEC’s regions 5 and 6 combining their efforts to manage brook trout. 

Ferguson, meanwhile, plans to get back to what he loves. 

“I’m just gonna keep doing what I love to do, explore new country chasing some more good trout. The exploring for me is just as much if not more fun than the fish itself. This is my passion. That’s what I love to do.”

Ferguson submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC’s newly revamped Angler Achievement Awards Program. More details can be found here.