A Minnesota angler has garnered a certified state record after catching a monster muskellunge, which was promptly released back into the water, at Mille Lacs Lake.
Back in June, Eric Bakke of Princeton was fishing on the large but shallow lake near where Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing Counties intersect when he hooked and reeled in a massive muskie.
The ginormous fish measured a jaw-dropping 58.25 inches in length.
“To be able to target and catch fish of this caliber has been one of the great passions of my life,” said Bakke. “In order to catch more and bigger fish you have to put them back: ‘let them go, let them grow.’”
He added that his record “should and will” be broken in the next couple of years if anglers pledge to catch and release, thus allowing the muskies to grow and other anglers potentially the catch of a lifetime.
In late October, over four months since Bakke’s big catch, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) certified his giant muskellunge as the state catch-and-release record. Two anglers had previously tied for the title, having reeled in 57.25-inch muskies on Lake Vermilion in 2019 and 2021.
Bakke said, “I’d like to say thank you to all of the people who have caught that fish over the past 20-plus years, took care of her, and put her back. She is still out there for all of you to go try to catch again!”
Bakke is a member of the Wisconsin-based non-profit Muskies Inc., from whom he has picked up some great angling tips and learned to handle big fish with the utmost respect.
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