DNR: New Record for Catch-And-Release Muskie

ST. PAUL (AP) -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says a huge muskie caught on Lake Vermilion is a new catch-and-release record.

The DNR said Monday the 571/4 inch muskie weighed about 47pounds and was caught by Corey Kitzmann in August. The prior muskellunge record was just shy of 47 pounds and was caught on Pelican Lake in Otter Tail County in 2016.

Kitzmann says when he set the hook he knew immediately he had a good-sized fish, but it wasn't until the fish made its way to the side of his boat that he realized he had ``a true giant.''

A nearby boater helped him haul the muskie into his boat.