As soon as he set the hook, Sebastien Roy knew he had a big one.
Roy and his friend Steve Rowbotham were fishing on Lake Simcoe when the excitement started to set in.
“This felt different. When you catch a big lake trout or whitefish they head shake a lot, this just felt heavy,” Roy says.
“I was a little hesitant. I wasn't quite sure it was the size he said it was, but its head came through the hole,” says Rowbotham.
Turns out Roy hooked a giant Burbot. The deep water fish is also known as Ling or fresh water cod.
Until now, the largest Burbot caught in Ontario weighed 7.6 kilograms or 16.8 pounds.
Roy’s fish was weighed on a certified scale and measured by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. It's not official yet, but at 8.14 kilograms or 17.9 pounds, this one would be a record-breaker.
“You want to have proof. You don't want people to have doubts. That's why we took the steps, when we caught the fish, to go through the process of getting it weighed at three different places.”
The record won't be official until the Ontario federation of Anglers and Hunters processes the paper work. The fish is currently at a taxidermist where it's being mounted for display.
“For Steve and me, I Think the biggest achievement is putting Lake Simcoe on the map and in the record book.”
