Tripletail trophy status achieved with 30-pounder

Courtesy of Chris Smith / Dept. of Natural Resources

David Garstecki Jr. is all smiles after boating this 30.8-pound tripletail, but it wasn’t the only big one caught that day. 

Trophy fish are definitely determined by the eyes of the beholders. However, when those eyes belong to a dedicated angler, it takes a big fish to be deemed a trophy.

In freshwater, the holy grail in bass fishing is a 10-pound largemouth, although those have become more common in recent years.