(Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Brendon Sutter of the Tackle Shack.)

Cooper Schwartz with big troutCooper Schwartz with big trout

Eleven-year-old Cooper Schwartz will never forget his first trout fishing experience.

The young man joined his uncle Matt for some trout fishing on opening day. The pair headed to the Little Elkhart River at Riverbend Park in Middlebury, Ind.

Cooper had never been trout fishing. His uncle rigged him with a little Mepps Spinner and the lad began fishing.

Shortly after the fishing began, Cooper spotted a very large fish up against the bank and began to make pointed casts. Initially, the fish showed no interest, but Cooper continued to run the Mepps as close to the fish as he could. Soon thereafter, the 29-inch, 11.72-pound rainbow decided he’d had enough and latched onto the bait.

Cooper fought the fish for a bit but it swam for a log jam, tangled in the wood and broke the boy’s line. 

Not giving up, Cooper retied another Mepps and he went back to work. Remarkably, the fish hit a second time, but stayed in the main river this time. After several tense minutes of fighting, the boy and his uncle were able to get the giant trout on shore. The fish still had the Mepps Spinner in its mouth that Cooper hooked him with the first time.

They took the giant trout to the Tackle Shack in Middlebury where they got the official weight.

The Indiana DNR stocks legal-size trout in northern Indiana streams a week prior to the opener, but most are 12 inches or less. However, fish managers occasionally “retire” some of the adult fish they use for brood stock at the hatchery and release them in some streams. The stream in Middlebury is one of those places.