South Dakota Angler Lands 84-inch Brown Trout in Pactola Reservoir

BREAKING: South Dakota Angler Lands 84-inch Brown Trout in Pactola Reservoir—Biologists Baffled!

Rapid City, SD – The fishing community was turned upside down this morning after local angler Gus “Big Rod” Hendrickson reportedly landed what may be the largest brown trout ever recorded. The behemoth, measuring an unfathomable 84 inches and estimated at 116 pounds, was caught in Pactola Reservoir of the Black Hills in the early hours of April 1st.

“I thought I snagged a sunken canoe,” said Hendrickson, still shaking from the experience. “Then it started moving… and I knew I was in for a ride.”

The battle lasted an agonizing 47 minutes, during which Hendrickson claims he was nearly pulled into the water three separate times. Eyewitnesses say that after he finally subdued the monstrous fish, the sheer weight of it capsized his small aluminum boat, leaving him to swim it to shore with his belt looped through its gill plate.

Biologists Are Speechless

South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks officials arrived at the scene, where they immediately began conducting tests on the fish to verify its authenticity. According to Dr. Miles Guttman, a fisheries biologist at South Dakota State University, this brown trout “should not exist.”

“There is no conceivable way this fish grew this large in Pactola,” said Guttman. “Either it’s been feeding on an undiscovered baitfish species, or it’s been secretly juicing at a CrossFit gym.”

Some speculate the fish could be the result of an experimental growth hormone study conducted in the 1980s at a now-defunct hatchery near Rapid Creek. Others believe it may have originated from a long-lost strain of brown trout bred by ancient gold miners who accidentally spilled their protein rations into the water.

The Debate Rages On

The catch has sparked controversy among angling purists, with some suggesting that Hendrickson used “unethical tactics.” A few skeptics within online fishing forums have accused him of “foul-hooking the Loch Ness Monster.”

But Hendrickson remains unfazed by the critics. “I caught it fair and square on 6-pound test and a small hand-made inline Hagen's spinner setup,” he claimed. “You just gotta know how to play ‘em.”

What’s Next?

Game, Fish & Parks is still deliberating whether the fish qualifies for a new state or world record. Meanwhile, local bait shops have reported a sudden spike in spinner and spoon sales along with oversized nets.

As for the trout? Hendrickson says he’s considering mounting it on his garage… though some folks at the local diner swear they saw it walking back toward the water later that evening.

Stay tuned for updates as this story develops!

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