BOISE, Idaho — A 12-year-old boy caught what many are calling a fish of a lifetime late last month on the Snake River.
Tyler Grimshaw tied the Idaho sturgeon catch and release record after he reeled in a 9-foot, 11-inch monster fish while fishing with his father, Lance, and Jones Sport Fishing guide Joe Weisner.
"A fish of this caliber, I mean, it doesn't come around very often," Weisner said. "I have caught and seen hundreds of these fish. It's what I do for a living and this one was truly special … It's an absolute giant."
According to Weisner, Tyler was determined to reel in the massive sturgeon once he had the fish hooked. The 12-year-old boy stayed with the fish by himself for 50 minutes.
"He was not giving up on it," Weisner said. "He took the rod between his legs and he basically was squatting on the rod, just using his own body weight for leverage."
The record-tying catch was 12 years in the making. Tyler said he has been fishing his entire life, but the 9-foot, 11-inch sturgeon outweighed any previous experience with a fishing rod.
"I was excited," Tyler said. "This fish was far bigger than anything I had seen before. I was at a loss for words."
Weisner and the crew involved with Tyler's catch measured the sturgeon three times to confirm it tied the Idaho catch and release record.
"It's just one of those moments, though, that it was truly, truly incredible," Weisner said.
The 12-year-old fisherman got a real taste of what it means to catch a fish of a lifetime, as seen in the photo below. Although Tyler did not eat the fish and released it back in the water, KTVB asked him how the sturgeon tasted in the photo.
Tyler said it tasted "good," and said "my dad just wants to get photos of me for memories."
Now, Tyler is aiming to beat his record catch by reeling in another massive sturgeon.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: