A brown trout weighing nearly 20 lbs has been named as the new state record for the species by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

The 19 lb., 10 oz. trout was landed July 4th from Walnut Creek by Fazle Buljubasic of Erie. Buljubasic was using a minnow while casting from the shoreline wall at the Commission’s Walnut Creek Access when the big fish hit. It took him about 20 minutes to land the fish, which measured 32 1/4 inches long with a 22-inch girth.

The new record fish easily surpasses the former mark for brown trout. Leroy Patterson of Huntingdon had held the record since 1993 with a 17 lb. 14.5 oz. brown trout he caught in the Raystown Lake spillway.

To be considered for state record certification, a fish must be caught using legal means, in season, from Pennsylvania waters open to the public without charge or fee. Fish taken from farm ponds, fee-fishing lakes, ponds or streams or in waters restricted to use by club members or their guests do not qualify. Potential record fish must exceed the established benchmark by at least one ounce, as weighed on a certified scale.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is the only entity that can certify a new state record fish in the Commonwealth.