Ortonville Teen Breaks State Record for Largest Salmon Caught in Michigan [VIDEO]

We've all heard fish stories. But Louis Martinez isn't exaggerating when he says he caught a Chinook salmon that was absolutely 'ginormous.' The Ortonville teen broke a Michigan record on Saturday (8/7) when he pulled the 47.86-pound fish out of the water in Ludington.

Martinez broke a record that has been in place since the late 70s when a 46 pounder was pulled from the Grand River in Kent County.

First Time's a Charm

As luck would have it, this was the 19-year-old's first time fishing for salmon. He had just gotten his fishing license the previous day on Friday. Martinez, along with his mom, sister, and stepfather set out on the fishing expedition early Saturday morning on an Ice Breakers charter boat.

Martinez says his family and the boat's captain, Bobby Sullivan all joined in on the excitement as he battled with the fish.

“The first 10 minutes were quite a fight,” Martinez said. “They were all screaming, and I was like: 'What did I do?'"

 

It's Official

Jay Westley from the Department of Natural Resources made it official on Saturday. He drove from Kalamazoo to Ludington on Saturday to certify the record.

"They took the top off of the cooler and I think the [first] words out of my mouth were 'Oh my God,'" Westley tells WOOD-TV.

Westley says the huge catch is great news for the salmon population in Michigan because the number of large fish caught recently indicates that there is a good balance of fish in Michigan's lakes.