A special pike
<p>Tom Peebles with his impressive pike.</p>
COEUR d’ALENE — Landing a hefty fish is always exciting, but for Tom “Bruno” Peebles it was particularly special.
The Coeur d’Alene man caught a 19-pound, 32-inch northern pike Tuesday while fishing at Fernan Lake.
His mom, Kathy Corwin, said she moved her son, who is mentally challenged, to Coeur d’Alene several years ago.
“This is the biggest thing that’s happened to him since he’s been here,” Corwin said. “He wouldn’t have this experience in southern California where he’s from.”
While Peebles’ fish isn’t a traditional record-breaker, it’s still a big one.
The certified weight state record belongs to Kim Fleming, who caught a 40.13-pound northern pike in 2010 in Lower Twin Lake.
If Peebles had participated in the state’s new catch-and-release record program, his fish could have beaten the current catch-and-release record held by Michael Friedrich.
Friedrich caught, measured and released a 17.5-inch pike on April 9 in Benewah Lake.