State Record Kokanee Salmon for Both Utah and Wyoming

George Sharman caught this monster kokanee on the Wyoming side of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, but because the reservoir is in both Utah and Wyoming, the state of Utah reached out and offered him the state record for kokanee salmon in Utah as well, so he officially had the record in both Wyoming and Utah.

I was able to interview George and his wife Robyn about the record. The first thing Robyn wanted me to know was that it was a team effort for sure. He was holding the rod, she was holding the net. She could barely lift it out of the water, and they knew they had something special. But because George was the one to reel it in, he got the record. Robyn also thinks she should have been the one to reel this state record fish for both Utah and Wyoming at Flaming Gorge. Though married, Robyn also claimed that she hasn’t taken George’s name because he didn’t let her real in the record breaking kokanee salmon, a reasonable response in our estimation.

At the time the fish hit, Robyn was nursing their son Ryder on the boat, and it otherwise may or may not have been her turn to reel in the fish. Robyn, George, and Ryder were out fishing with Robyn’s parents, Len and Roxanne Faike, and it was their policy to take turns reeling in when there was a fish on. Regardless of who’s turn it might have been, George reeled it in, and George has the records.

The Wyoming Kokanee Salmon State Record

This record breaking fish was actually caught on the Wyoming side of Flaming Gorge, just outside of Buckboard Marina. When they got it on board, they were pretty sure that this monster of a fish could be a record setter. They got the fish to Buckboard for another weigh in, and then to Green River to have the fish and the record certified by the Wyoming fish and game as the new state record kokanee salmon.

The Utah Kokanee Salmon State Record

A week or two after getting the official certification from the state of Wyoming, the state of Utah reached out to him and said that because it was interstate waters, he could have that record too. Utah sent them a nice certification letter, and had filled out all the paperwork for them as well. Wyoming didn’t do anything like that for them. This fish beat out the previous state record (for both states) by less than an ounce. The previous state record kokanee was also caught on Flaming Gorge Reservoir, back in 2009.

Utah and Wyoming State Record Kokanee Measurements:

• Weight: 6lbs, 5oz
• Length: 25 1/4 Inches
• Girth: 14 Inches

What Was the State Record Kokanee Caught On?

George was using the Rocky Mountain Tackle Assassin Spinner in Chartreuse when he caught the state record. People were surprised that they caught it on Chartreuse, as pinks were and usually still are the more popular color there, but George seemed to always have good luck with chartreuse at Flaming Gorge, and the results speak for themselves.

Rocky Mountain Tackle Assassin Spinner

The Family Tradition of Fishing for Kokanee at Flaming Gorge

George and Robyn had been kokanee fishing at Flaming Gorge Reservoir for years. Robyn grew up fishing for kokanee at Lake Tahoe with her parents. Now, every year, they have their anual fishing trip to Flaming Gorge to chase kokanee and to connect as a family. Robyn’s parents, Len and Roxanne Faike, show up a few days earlier than George and Robyn and scout out their regular spots so he’d have a good idea of where the kokanee were just in time for George and Robyn to show up and land record book fish.

They shoot for kokanee every year. One year they tried to chase Kokanee at Blue Mesa, but they had a lot more luck at flaming Gorge. Blue Mesa kokanee salmon weren’t as big as those they had caught at Flaming Gorge. She grew up fishing for kokanee in Lake Tahoe. Her dad, Len, is pretty much their guide and the all around expert on kokanee fishing. Roxanne is the chief lure expert, and was the one that picked the chartreuse lure that caught the Wyoming and Utah state record kokanee salmon. She likes to try new lures and new combination. Just like George and Robyn, Len and Roxanne are their own fishing team as well. The state record was a family affair.

Rocky Mountain Tackle

Other Fishing Robyn and George Do

Robyn and George make their home in Lyons, Colorado, where they also do some fishing. They hit up local rivers and lakes where they’ll throw lures in. Generally, they find fishing to be very therapeutic for them, even if it can be hard to relax fishing with 2 kids. They have a 4 and 7 year old. Robyn will bring games for the kids, so when the bite is off they don’t get bored and still have a good experience. They’re just hoping that exposing them at the young age, they’ll catch the bug and they’ll want to keep doing it.

And it seems their efforts are working. Last year during their annual fishing trip, they’d just arrived and had gotten settled in for the evening, and weren’t necessarily planning on going fishing. Len, Grandpa, asked the oldest son Ryder what he wanted to do that night. Ryder said- I want to go fishing, its what we came here to do. They headed out and ended up limiting out on kokanee that evening. 

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