An 18-year-old fisherman from Pennsylvania caught a species not often seen in Lake Erie: an Atlantic salmon.
Colton Alex was fishing for walleye and rainbow trout when he caught a big one, GoErie.com reported.
The Atlantic salmon Alex caught weighed 10.4 pounds and was 30 inches long.
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This specific salmon species is a rare catch for Lake Erie, especially for a salmon as large as Alex.
An 18-year-old Pennsylvania fisherman caught a rare Atlantic salmon (actual catch not pictured) while on Lake Erie during a fishing tournament. (iStock)
Alex has caught many Atlantic salmon in other places, but he has never caught one in Erie, Go Erie reported.
“I’ve fished Lake Ontario, Lake Erie my whole life, I’ve done tons of tournaments,” Alex told the outlet.
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“I’ve caught quite a few salmon. I’ve caught Atlantic salmon in Ontario, but I’ve never caught one in Erie or even seen one caught, and that was by far the biggest one I’ve heard of.”
The fish fought and made the young fisherman believe he had caught a large rainbow trout. After catching the fish, he immediately noticed the jaw, classifying it as a salmon, the news source added.
It was only when he saw the spots on the big catch that he realized he had caught an Atlantic salmon.
Although he was delighted with his catch, he still had one tournament to complete, so he didn’t let the celebration distract him.
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“I was excited about it, but definitely more focused on the tournament. But I was even more excited after the tournament,” he said.
It wasn’t until Colton Alex looked inside his net that he realized the fish he had caught was a salmon, specifically an Atlantic salmon, which is rarely caught in Lake Erie in Pennsylvania. (iStock)
Alex was alongside Captain Joe Nemet of Nemesis Sport Fishing when he caught the fish.
Nemet told Fox News Digital that Atlantic salmon are considered “unicorn fish,” even in Lake Ontario, where several species of salmon are most prevalent.
“You can catch 150 to 200 salmon and one Atlantic salmon,” Nemet said. “That’s a rare occurrence in these other lakes and this being in Lake Erie. [makes it] more rare… what was more special was that it was very big.
Nemet called Alex’s catch “a very beautiful fish.” He even billed it as the largest Atlantic salmon he had ever seen.
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“The chances of [the catch]”I wouldn’t want to speculate, but it’s pretty small,” Nemet said. “I never would have guessed it could come from Lake Erie.”
Colton Alex (pictured here) was joined by Capt. Joe Nemet of Nemesis Sport Fishing in Erie, Pennsylvania, when he caught the big fish. (Nemesis Sport Fishing)
Nemet believes the fish may have crossed Lake Huron into Lake Erie because it lacked an adipose fin. He believes the fins came from the Atlantic and are stocked in Lake Huron, which borders the United States and Canada.
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Alex donated his fish to SONS (Save Our Native Species) of Lake Erie, so the meat could be used for one of the organization’s dinners.
For now, Alex and Nemet plan to have replicas of the fish made to preserve the memory and display them on their walls.
Capt. Joe Nemet of Nemesis Sport Fishing in Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, said Colton Alex’s catch (pictured here) is not one you often see in Lake Erie. “Its rarity and size” made the fish special, Nemet told Fox News Digital. (Nemesis Sport Fishing)
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“It was a really cool catch and I encourage people to go fishing further out in the lake and in deeper water if they have a goal of catching a Lake Erie salmon. Go for it. Put in the time. It’s not easy, but it’s a lot more possible than most people think,” Alex told Go Erie.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Colton Alex for comment.
