Vermont Fish and Wildlife today announced a Freshwater Drum caught in 2025 has been officially certified as a new Vermont state record.
In June, 10-year-old Grayson Carey of Colchester landed the record-setting fish while competing in the Lake Champlain International Father's Day Derby with his father and grandfather. The Freshwater Drum, also known as "sheepshead," weighed 28.5 pounds and measured 37 ½ inches long with a 29-inch girth. It beat the previous state record set in 2016 by three pounds.
Grayson's father, Jason Carey, said the catch was no accident.
"We've been targeting drum during the derby for years," Carey said. "They're big, they fight hard, and they're a blast to catch. If you're fishing the right areas at the right time, you can absolutely catch them on purpose."
Jason would certainly know. In 2018, he set an LCI Father's Day Derby record with a 24.97 pound Freshwater Drum – a derby record that stood until his son broke it in 2025 while also establishing a new all-time Vermont state record.
Grayson's catch earned first place in the LCI's Extraordinary Category, the first-place team prize, the Junior Warmwater Grand Prize, and multiple bonus awards. Combined with setting new derby and lake records, the fish netted him more than $26,000 in prize winnings.
"Not bad for a native fish species that many people still consider to be a 'trash fish' and not worth fishing for," said Shawn Good, fisheries biologist with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and administrator of the State Record Fish Program. "In recent years, anglers have increasingly been targeting many of our under-appreciated native sport fish species such as bowfin, gar, burbot, fallfish, suckers, and more. It's exciting to see these species getting the recognition they deserve."
Notable Steelhead Also Recognized
Although not new a state record, another standout catch was entered in the State Record Fish Program in 2025. Carl Petri of Middlebury landed an 11.65 pound Steelhead (Rainbow Trout) from Lake Champlain. The fish measured 29 inches in length and had an 18-inch girth and is now the largest Steelhead recorded from Champlain.
Petri described the catch as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"I usually target Landlocked Atlantic Salmon, but a Steelhead is always a great bonus," Petri said. "They're the best fighting fish in Champlain in my opinion. Their acrobatics make it incredibly exciting to hook one. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be able to catch a fish of this quality."
Good explained that the name 'Steelhead' refers to Rainbow Trout that inhabit large freshwater lakes like Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, or the Great Lakes, but migrate into tributary rivers to spawn.
"Like their ocean-going counterparts on the West Coast, these fish grow to large sizes in open water and migrate into rivers to spawn," Good said. "While they don't go to sea here, they exhibit similar migratory behavior. Steelhead are typically larger, brighter, and more powerful than stream-resident Rainbow Trout."
Anglers interested in learning more about Vermont's fishing opportunities, Record Fish Program and more can visit the Vermont Fish and Wildlife's website Fish page.