Russ Geldrich of Kalispell has caught a new state record pygmy whitefish. Geldrich caught the 0.36-pound (5.76-ounce; 9.84 inches in length) pygmy in Little Bitterroot Lake on February 13. Geldrich caught the pygmy on a jig and maggot while fishing deep for kokanee.
Geldrich had the fish weighed on a certified scale at Rosaurer’s, and brought it in to FWP headquarters today to certify his record. Fisheries Biologist Mark Deleray examined and measured the fish and certified that the impressive specimen beat the previous state record of .23 pounds held jointly by three anglers.
The pygmy whitefish is a unique native fish found in a handful of lakes across northwest Montana. The state record has now been set or broken eight times since 1982.
The original record of 0.16 pounds was caught by Orlin Iverson in 1982 in Ashley Lake. Frank Gamma caught a 0.18 pound pygmy in 1999 from the same lake. The record stood until 2005, when on January 28, Brent Mitchell caught a .20 pounder out of Little Bitterroot Lake. Mitchell’s record was eclipsed by a 0.21 pounder caught by Alvin Ammann February 14, 2005. Two weeks later, on February 25, Kevin Hadley hauled a 0.23 pounder out of Little Bitterroot, only to be matched by Troy Fraley who caught a .23 pounder on February 27. Then, four years later on March 17, 2009, Eric Tullett matched the record again with a .23 pound pygmy from Bitterroot Lake.
Three types of whitefish live in Montana. The pygmy, along with the larger mountain whitefish, is native. The lake whitefish was introduced to Montana. The pygmy has a very large eye in relation to its size. Pygmy whitefish live near the bottom of lakes such as Little Bitterroot, Ashley, and Flathead. They feed on tiny zooplankton, bottom insects, and mysis shrimp.