U.S. Senator Steve Daines recognized James Fauth of Phillips County for his record-breaking chinook salmon he caught while boating on Fort Peck Lake.
Through his “Montanan of the Month” initiative, each month Daines highlights a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the recipient’s honor into the Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress.
Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for his “Montanan of the Month” program by calling his office at 202-224-2651 or by filling out the contact form on his website: HERE.
The following is the tribute Daines submitted to the Congressional Record to honor James Fauth:
TRIBUTE TO JAMES FAUTH OF PHILLIPS COUNTY
Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing James Fauth of Phillips County for his record-breaking chinook salmon he caught while boating on Fort Peck Lake.
Fauth, a retired power company lineman from Malta, took his 25-year-old pontoon boat out for a leisure day of fishing alongside his wife Nancy and friends Tony and Emily Simonsen. After several hours of patience and perseverance, Fauth noticed his spinning rod come to life off a downrigger and jumped into action. He figured it was a salmon because he’d been tracking them deep on his sonar and the fish was putting up a fight. The rod’s original 20-pound line had never been replaced, so Fauth was hopeful it wouldn’t break. After approximately five minutes of back-and-forth battling with the fish on the other end, Fauth was overjoyed when his $29 Wal-Mart rod and reel proved to get the job done as he landed the chinook in the boat.
The enormous salmon, weighing an astounding 32.62 pounds and measuring 38 inches long with a 28-inch girth, broke the previously held state record set by Greg Haug in 2020 with a 32.05 pound salmon, also taken from Fort Peck Lake. The area is no stranger to impressive catches, but Fauth’s recent trophy stands out for obvious reasons. The story of Fauth’s historic catch will live on in history and residents of River’s Bend Assisted Living in Malta will soon get a special up-close look at the record breaking salmon, as Fauth has chosen to donate it to the facility so residents can enjoy it. What makes this story all the more special is that the assisted living facility is owned by Tony and Emily Simonsen, who got to bear witness to the historic catch on the Fauth family pontoon.
It is my distinct honor to recognize James Fauth for his once-in-a-lifetime catch that earned him the title as Montana’s new state record salmon angler. This historic catch is a celebration of the Treasure State’s natural resources and a nod to our shared Montana way of life rooted in our passion for the great outdoors. Way to go, James – your story will forever be tied to one of the greatest catches ever made on Fort Peck Lake. You make Montana proud!