The Division of Wildlife Resources has awarded a Pleasant Grove man with the largest catch of splake fish ever caught in Utah.

Buckley Jolley caught the 30.5-inch fish at Joes Valley Reservoir on the Emery / Sanpete County line in November.

After some patience and finesse, he landed the fish in about 15 minutes, which he says felt more like 30.

The previous record for the same species of fish was also set at the Joes Valley Reservoir in 2015. Biologist predict the reservoir will produce an especially high number of trophy-caliber splake in the next couple of years thanks to the decreasing number of Utah chub.