An 18-year-old fisherman from Pennsylvania caught an Atlantic salmon, a species not commonly found in Lake Erie.
According to GoErie.com, Colton Alex was competing in a walleye and steelhead tournament when he caught the big fish.
The Atlantic salmon Alex caught weighed 10.4 pounds and was 30 inches long.
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This particular type of salmon is a rare catch on Lake Erie, especially one as large as the one Alex caught.
An 18-year-old fisherman from Pennsylvania caught a rare Atlantic salmon (actual catch not pictured) in Lake Erie during a fishing tournament. (iStock)
Alex has caught plenty of Atlantic salmon in other places, but never in Erie, Go Erie reported.
“I’ve been fishing on Lakes Ontario and Erie my whole life and have competed in numerous tournaments,” Alex told the outlet.
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“I’ve caught my fair share of salmon in my time. I’ve caught Atlantic salmon in Ontario, but I’ve never caught one in Erie, or seen one caught. And this was by far the biggest salmon I’d ever heard of.”
The fish resisted, leading the young angler to think he’d caught a large steelhead, but after catching it in his net he quickly realised it was a salmon by looking at its jaws, the news source added.
It wasn’t until he saw the large speckled fish that he realised he’d caught an Atlantic salmon.
Although he was excited about the catch, he wasn’t distracted by celebrations as he was still scheduled to finish the tournament.
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“I was excited but I was definitely focused on the tournament itself, but I was more excited after the tournament was over,” he said.
It was only when Colton Alex peered into his net that he realized he’d caught a salmon — specifically, an Atlantic salmon, a species rarely caught in Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie. (iStock)
Alex was with Captain Joe Nemet of Nemesis Sport Fishing when he caught the fish.
Nemet told Fox News Digital that even in Lake Ontario, where several salmon species are most abundant, Atlantic salmon are considered a “unicorn fish.”
“You might catch 150 to 200 salmon, maybe even one Atlantic salmon,” Nemet said, “which is unusual on other lakes, but rare on Lake Erie.” [makes it] What made it even more unusual… and even more special was that it was so big.”
Nemet described Alex’s catch as “a beautiful fish.” He even boasted that the fish Alex caught was the biggest Atlantic salmon he’d ever seen.
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” [the catch]”I don’t want to speculate, but it’s pretty small,” Nemet said. “I never would have dreamed it would come from Lake Erie.”
Colton Alex (pictured) was joined by Capt. Joe Nemet of Nemesis Sport Fishing in Erie, Pennsylvania, and caught the big fish. (Nemesis Sport Fishing)
Nemet believes the fish may have migrated to Erie from Lake Huron because it lacked an adipose fin, which he believes would have been removed from the Atlantic Ocean, which is dumped into Lake Huron on the U.S.-Canada border.
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Alex donated the fish to SONS (Save Our Native Species) on Lake Erie, who used the meat for their dinners.
For now, both Alex and Nemet plan to have replica taxidermy fish made to hang on their walls as a keepsake.
Capt. Joe Nemet of Nemesis Sport Fishing in Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, said Colton Alex’s catch (pictured) is something rarely seen on the lake. “Its rarity and size” make it special, Nemet told Fox News Digital. (Nemesis Sport Fishing)
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“It was an absolutely amazing catch and I would encourage anyone with a goal of catching Lake Erie salmon to try fishing the deeper parts of the lake. Go for it, take your time. It’s not easy but it’s a lot more doable than most people think,” Alex told Go Erie.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Colton Alex for comment.
