On May 17, 1985, Les Anderson of Soldotna, AK landed the all-tackle world record king salmon…this 97-pound, 4-ounce beast from the Kenai River. The mammoth Chinook was nearly 5 feet long and had an amazing 37.5-inch girth!
The improbable catch took place during the Kenai’s early run of kings, which typically features smaller salmon than the July run.
What’s even more crazy is the fish probably weighed considerably more at the time Andersen caught it…