Probable New State Record Muskie Caught in Minnesota — 55 pounds, 14.8 ounces!

A 55-pound 14.8-ounce muskie caught on Nov. 22, 2021, is likely to break the long-standing Minnesota state record of 54 pounds, which was caught in 1957.

Probable New State Record Muskie Caught in Minnesota — 55 pounds, 14.8 ounces!

The following was posted recently on Facebook by Nolan Sprengeler (above left). He was fishing on famed Mille Lacs Lake in central Minnesota:

The rumors are true! On November 22nd I set out on the last trip of my season with Kevin Kray and Zack Skoglund to chase the queen. At about 9pm I felt that tap on my Thorne Bros 9’6” XXH I’ve been searching for all fall. After a quick battle and a few ridiculous head shakes we had it in the bag. I didn’t realize how giant this fish was until I pulled it out of the net and immediately called Kevin over to assist with the buddy pictures. It measured an incredible 57.75” in length with a 29” girth. The next hour or so was spent trying to get her to release. Eventually we realized this was not going to happen and made the decision to bring it to a certified scale and crush the Minnesota State Record. She weighed 55 lbs and 14.8 oz. Huge shout out to Austin Tausk and Kyle Dorr for helping me find a place to get her weighed and helping with that process. Also Randy at the UPS Store was the man for being so cool about weighing it for us. I’m so incredibly blessed to be a part of this journey with my best friends.

The anglers had to bust through a half-inch of ice at the boat ramp to find open water, and by the time Sprengeler hooked the massive muskie, he had only one baitcasting reel left that wasn't frozen. In addition to a 9.5-foot custom muskie rod, he was using 100-pound braid, wire leader and a 12-inch-plus soft-plastic swimbait (what muskie anglers refer to as rubber). Releasing the muskie was impossible because the fish had swallowed the swimbait deeply into its gills.

Congrats, guys, on an amazing fish!

Editor's update (12-6-2022): The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is officially recognizing Sprengeler's fish as the new state record muskie with a weight of 55 pounds, 14 ounces.



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