Charles Fulton, from Louisville, Mississippi, recently made headlines in Tennessee for catching a record-breaking cutthroat trout weighing 6 pounds and 9 ounces. He achieved this feat on June 28 below Boone Dam during his annual fishing trip with friends, who come from North Carolina. This catch marked Fulton’s first encounter with a cutthroat trout.
The previous record in Tennessee for a cutthroat trout was 4 pounds and 12 ounces, caught by a 10-year-old in the Boone tailwater along the Holston River. Fulton’s trout surpassed this record by nearly 2 pounds. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) verified Fulton’s catch and officially recognized it as a state record, issuing him a certificate for the achievement.
Currently, Fulton has preserved the trout in a deep freeze while awaiting its mounting by a taxidermist. Although cutthroat trout aren’t native to the Eastern United States, agencies like TWRA have introduced them to provide anglers with challenging sport fishing opportunities. These trout are distinguished by two red slashes on their lower jaws, making them easily recognizable among fishing enthusiasts.
