Richard Levesque and his 14.55 lb. walleye, a new state record, which he caught on a tip-up through the ice, Feb. 10, 2010.(Vt. F&W handout photo)

Waterbury, Vt - February 11, 2010 - Vermont arguably has the best walleye fishing in New England, and Richard Levesque’s latest whopper entry in Vermont’s fish record program underscores that point. Levesque shattered the previous state record for walleye on February 10, when he caught a walleye weighing 14.55 lbs. through the ice on Lake Champlain.

The previous Vermont state record walleye weighed 13.44 lbs and was caught in the Clyde River in 1997 by Doug Niles of Newport Center, Vt.

Levesque, who lives nearby in West Swanton, caught the big fish at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, using a tip-up baited with a golden shiner. The walleye measured 32 ½ inches long and had a 20-inch girth.

- Vermont Daily News report and Vt. Fish &Wildlife press information