Fisherman's record fish is an ‘emotional’ catch

Ryan Ashley was introduced to fishing by his grandfather’s best friend and was ice fishing in his spot when he made the memorable (...)

Ryan Ashley, ice fishing in a spot a family friend had always taken him, landed a state-record 12-pound, 8.48-ounce cusk on Lake Winnipesaukee, the New Hampshire Fish and Game confirmed.

“It took me about 15 minutes to reel it in,” Ashley told The Laconia Daily Sun. “His head hit the hole, and I just had to grab it. I had a 10-inch hole and his body had a 16½-inch girth, so he barely fit…

“I’ve caught enough of ’em that as soon as I pulled it through the hole, I knew.”

What Ashley knew was that it was a state record. He was right as it wound up breaking the old mark by six ounces.

“Oh my God, state-record cusk, state-record cusk,” Ashley exclaimed once he had pulled the 35-inch fish through the hole, as you can see in the video.

Ashley was fishing with a friend on Jan. 13 around 9 p.m. when he made the memorable catch in a location he refers to as “Paradise’s Spot,” as reported by Fox News and Field and Stream.

Paul Paradise was the best friend of Ashley’s grandfather. Since Ashley’s grandfather died when he was young, it was Paradise who introduced him to fishing, hunting and trapping. Paradise died two years ago.

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“He pretty much introduced me to outdoors,” Ashley told Field and Stream.  “It was an emotional moment to get a state record out of his spot. I wish I could have seen his face. I know he would’ve been smiling ear-to-ear.”

Ashley regularly fishes for cusk, also known as burbot, and said the cod-like fish is a “poor man’s lobster.”

He didn’t plan to eat it, however. He is having a replica mount made and is donating the fish to NHFG biologists.