Here is one for the record books...
Fernando's catch weighed in at 10 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 27 inches in length.
It was one of the biggest trout caught on record at the lake near Jefferson Street and 58th Avenue, a Riverside County park official said.
"First, we were just catching small ones," the John Glenn Middle School student said.
"Pan-size," his father, Fernando Romero, added.
The father and son from La Quinta were about to call it a day when they noticed water being released from the Coachella Canal into the lake. His father told him to cast there because large fish are attracted to churning water in search of small fish to eat, Fernando said.
"I did and I caught this guy," he said.
The Coachella Valley Water District periodically releases water into the lake, said spokeswoman Heather Engel. Riverside County stocks the lake trout, she added.
Fernando would normally be at school, but "I wanted to spend some father-and-son time," Romero said.
"It meant a lot to me to spend a day with my son today," Romero said.
The big fish won't be mounted on a wall in the family's home.
Since preserving the fish is an expensive proposition, the family planned to enjoy a big trout feast.
"I'm so proud of him," his father said, beaming.
David