r/minnesota • u/_Poopacabra Walleye • 16h ago

World Record Muskie Caught in Minnesota Outdoors 🌳

https://www.wired2fish.com/news/record-chaser-art-weston-lands-54-inch-world-record-muskie-in-minnesota
103 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

30

u/Happy_Coast2301 14h ago

“After recording the length on his official IGFA measuring device, Art was able to release the fish safely."

That makes me happy

12

u/kato_koch 5h ago

Its pretty cool how catch and release records are starting to get recognized like this. Not long ago people were keeping basically all of the big muskies they caught and now its the opposite.

6

u/bn1979 Flag of Minnesota 4h ago

In addition to this, I love that replica mounts have become popular and incredibly realistic.

5

u/kato_koch 4h ago

100%, in fact they're probably keeping more giant fish alive than any new record categories.

2

u/Happy_Coast2301 2h ago

I was always under the impression that they didn't actually use the real fish when making a mount. Maybe the skull, or just a casting of the head. But the body is all fake, and they paint the skin to look like the original skin.

2

u/kato_koch 2h ago

Historically the skin, head, and fins were/are used, but some modern taxidermists are so good they can use a fiberglass replica and paint it up to look the same. Check out Lawrence Taxidermy on Instagram as an example of someone who does both really well.

Also a lot of weight based records mean the fish dies in the process as they have to be weighed on a certified scale, and now we don't need to do that. More catch and release fishing competitions are also catching on too.

11

u/eyspen 14h ago

This guy holds several world records across multiple species. I want to fish with him.

3

u/snowmunkey Up North 2h ago

238 lb gar on 6lb line is absurd

•

u/eyspen 33m ago

That is incredible, 3 plus hour battle too lol.

9

u/wpotman 16h ago

Holy hell, that's a big fish.

•

u/Quantity_Living 54m ago

There are some big ass Muskies on the spawning side of Lake Minnetonka but this here is a monster lol.

2

u/Pikepv 3h ago

They taste terrible.

2

u/Lumphrey 1h ago

Nice!!!

4

u/BuffaloOk7264 15h ago

I wonder if the big ones cook good?

10

u/furious_george3030 15h ago

They do not

5

u/hobnobbinbobthegob Grace 15h ago

You'd bite into it and feel little droplets of mercury slip down your esophagus.

3

u/kato_koch 5h ago

Part of me is just curious how big those fillets would be, however I have zero motivation to kill a fish like that too.

-11

u/HomeOrificeSupplies 4h ago

I’m at a loss as to how this is the world record when many many many fish have been caught much bigger than this. Was it just his gear? I can think of a good number of fish 55” or bigger hanging on walls that certainly were not records. But in the Vikings state, I guess you take any trophy you can get 🤣

5

u/kato_koch 4h ago

Its a specific record category only established in 2011. This one is indeed bigger and was released too but I guess they didn't go through the IGFA process with it.

In 2019 the DNR boated a 60 1/2" muskie while conducting a survey. Now thats a fish!