West Virginia officials have confirmed that on Saturday, March 19, Lucas King, of Burnsville, West Virginia, caught and released a new Mountain State record muskie.
King was fishing from the bank of the Little Kanawha River at a public access site in the tailwater section of Burnsville Dam in Braxton County, according to the state Division of Natural Resources
King’s record fish was 55.0625 inches long and weighed 51 pounds, according to division fisheries biologist Aaron Yeager, who measured the catch.
The trophy muskie eclipsed the previous state length record of 54.0625 inches caught last year by Chase Gibson and surpassed the current weight record of 49.75 pounds previously held by Anna Marsh. The muskie was caught using six-inch glide bait, according to King.
The muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), often shortened to muskie or musky is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae.
The name "muskellunge" originates from the Ojibwe words maashkinoozhe, meaning "great fish", maskinoše or mashkinonge, meaning "big pike" or "ugly pike" and the Algonquin word maskinunga.
Anglers who believe they may have caught a state record fish should check the current records in the fishing regulations at wvdnr.gov. Procedures for reporting a record catch also are included in the regulations.
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