55" caught by a kid from my home town.

[esoxhunter11]

www.montenews.com/article/20130704/NEWS/130709812

Big head on that beast. I hope he released her.

[esoxhunter11]

Amazing how many big fish are caught by guys not even fishing for them.

[mrklean]

judging by the pic being on shore im guessing that fish is at the taxidermist

[TruthWalleyes]

judging by the pic being on shore im guessing that fish is at the taxidermist

"They helped measure the musky at exactly 55 inches long. The musky was weighed on two different scales at 35 and 33 pounds"

[nocturnalmotors]

My uncle saw it from his cabin. Said he heard it flopping in the boat for a while...

[mnvikes32]

Absolutely sad in my opinion that this fish was kept.

[wormdunker]

Oh please, LOOK at the SMILE on that kids face! I believe in catch and release as much as anyone. But seriously to say it is absolutely sad IS absolutely sad. A fish of a lifetime for that kid and you [PoorWordUsage] on his fruit loops?

I say congrats and go get another one kid.

[RumRiverRat]

Absolutely sad in my opinion that this fish was kept.

Why?

[ANYFISH2]

Oh please, LOOK at the SMILE on that kids face! I believe in catch and release as much as anyone. But seriously to say it is absolutely sad IS absolutely sad. A fish of a lifetime for that kid and you [PoorWordUsage] on his fruit loops?

I say congrats and go get another one kid.

+1

[CANOPY SAM]

For goodness sake. It's THE fish of a lifetime. Maybe many people's lifetimes?

Good for him! I'd love to have that fish on my wall. What a gorgeous trophy. Congratulations, and I hope no one spoils your incredible achievement.

The fact that he even landed the fish on walleye gear is a pretty remarkable achievement in and of itself!

[monstermoose78]

Congrats to the Kid!! He will look at the fish on his wall forever and remember everything about it.

[JBMasterAngler]

I caught a 17" muskie today...would've made for good bait for that beast!

[onemagnum]

+ 2

[tolle141]

Nice catch. That said, a replica will last a lifetime, a skin won't. Hopefully this hooks him on the sport and the fishing community molds him to protect these fish.

[leechlake]

I never chime into these posts that go this direction. I guess never is now inaccurate.

Good job kid! It would be been sweet if it was anywhere in your mind that you were going to catch a musky that big while you were walleye fishing. You could have brought a cradle, tape measures long enough, and something to photograph it (ok he most likely had his phone), and then release it and get a replica made. It would have been great if you were like 99.9% of musky fisherman and not ever have thought of keeping it. But...you weren't those things so hats off to you.

My goal this Fall is to catch the state record MN walleye. I know it's a long shot to say the least but I've got the lake and I'm going to try. If I do catch one that size and I'm going to be prepared unlike the kid was, I probably will keep it.

On the other hand, for years I've pondered the ability to shoot a deer and take some photos and then magically wake it up and let it go. I get the point of releasing fish, what I'm saying is can someone keep a fish once in while without getting harpooned for it (pun intended).

[UKCM]

He just graduated high school, so that makes him about 18.

I say let the first one on this site who perhaps does things different now than they did at age 18 cast the first stone.

The rest of us should just give him a 'job well done' for landing a 55 inch fish on 10 lb test.

And let me add that I am just a tad bit jealous that I have not caught a fish that big.

[eyeguy 54]

cool! a skin mount will last him just fine. I got a fat 48 incher on 8 pound test in 8 feet of water on leech 10 years ago on the eye openner. it would have been on the wall if it would have been later.

[TRZ II]

Some of these diehard Musky guys just don't get it. I was on a fairly large and popular Musky lake with a few friends last weekend. A buddy was fortunate enough to get a 54". Between the 3 guys in the boat we have one other 51" mounted and have released hundreds of fish in the 40's. So this real educated guy comes over and tells us we need to throw the fish back because it is 35 yrs, old and a replica is cheaper, both of which are totally false. Then asks if your going to keep it is isn't even legal, at this point we were done with this goofball. This fish near the end of her life cycle, why not make a lifelong memory and beautiful trophy instead of it becoming seagull food within a few years???

[RUNnGUN]

Oh I think we get it, and this might help you get it...

Two years ago we got a 54" and let it go w/o hesitation. This year, on the same general spot, same time of year, we caught her again and she was 54.25".

My point is, we could have kept her two years ago when she was 54", thinking she was near the end, but we didn't. Now who knows if she was caught by other guys between then and now, but I would guess maybe once or twice. And if she was, those fisherman now have that lifelong memory, as well. Personally, that sounds like a better deal than me killing it to hang on my wall.

[TRZ II]

Exactly! To each his own. If the kid isn't breaking the law more power to him. People fish for food, trophy or sport or a combination of the 3. What ever reason makes a person fish and they are not breaking the law it is not our job or place to judge them! BTW, almost all stocked muskies are a put and take fishery, so the fish isn't spawning. also a very good chance that fish was replaced by another big fish on that premier spot.

[RUNnGUN]

I'm not judging the kid, I was just responding to your post that muskie fisherman don't get it.

The fish not spawning has nothing to do with it. If you have that mindset, let's just kill them all, they'll just restock it every year anyway, right?

And the idea that another big fish will just replace the dead fish carries no weight. Why replace a big dead fish with another when there could be two of them?

[MNdreaMN]

RUNnGUN,I agree with you 100%. TRZ, the only part of your rationale that is legit is that same old slogan of a person can keep what they want to as long as it is legal...blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to bash the kid for keeping it, but it sure would have been nice to give someone else that shot to catch her. Just think about the two musky fisherman that helped the kid out. They said the biggest they had caught was 52 and 53 inches. I'm assuming, if they were true musky guys, those fish went back in the drink...for a chance to get to be 55 inches and to give a kid a chance at catching one...

[CaptainMusky]

Yeah how many people caught and released that fish before he caught and kept it?

Muskies are "put and take" huh? I realize that many lakes they don't reproduce but if it was the intent of the mn dnr to create a put and take fishery they would stock tigers and lower the minimum size limit if there would even be one at all.

I don't find fault in someone keeping a legal fish but in reality they are being very selfish and thinking only for themaelf considering that same fish was likely caught and released many times in its life.

[Big Dave2]

I don't find fault in someone keeping a legal fish but in reality they are being very selfish and thinking only for themaelf considering that same fish was likely caught and released many times in its life.

Could it not be said that it is selfish for a person to complain about some one else keeping a legally caught fish so THEY can no longer catch it?

He caught it, it was legal, he gets to do what he wants with it. End of story.

[CaptainMusky]

I don't care if I catch it. Ho hum another 55" musky. Have enough of those for myself.