LUDINGTON SALMON

The Ludington area didn’t go unrepresented in the standings, though. Several locals placed in the top 10 with big kings and one placed with a big brown trout.

Kayleigh Shillinger, 12, reeled in a 16.6-pound brown trout on a blue bubble Spin Doctor and KRW Aquaglow fly on a wire-diver rod while fishing aboard Katfish Charters.

“It was hard,” Shillinger said. “It kept pulling the string out.”

Shillinger said the fish stayed deep for most of the fight.

The fish placed eighth, earning Shillinger a $200 savings bond. The DNR technicians at the site also filled out Master Angler award paperwork for her so she can receive a patch and certificate from the state.

The big fish was a great birthday present for her father, Jay, who said she also shot a bear in Canada this year

LUDINGTON NEWS ARTICLE ON KAYLEIGHS BROWN