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Standing the Test of Time
For muskie anglers, Ohio is a great place to catch a big fish! In 2018 alone, 226 muskie over 40 inches were reported on the state’s lakes. And that doesn’t even account for the other monsters slightly under that mark.Despite those numbers, the Ohio state muskie record has held fast for nearly fifty years!
In April 12, 1972, Joe D. Lykins reeled in 50 1/2 inch, 55.13 lb behemoth that has withstood the test of time. Many have come close, but no one has pulled a heavier muskie from Ohio waters in nearly five decades.
Want to see every Ohio state record fish?
A New Ohio State Record Muskie?
Zack Hall, an avid hunter and bass fisherman, may have something to say about that, however.
While shore fishing near the dam at Piedmont Lake in April 2018, Zack noticed a whopper muskie in the shallows and began casting a BioSpawn Exoswim her way.
He quickly realized he was fighting a monster!
As you can see on Zack’s Instgram page, he has landed plenty of gorgeous fish lunkers. That said, there’s a huge difference between bringing in a largemouth bass and a mammoth muskie!
After pulling the fish in, Zack got a measurement of 50 3/4 inches, which makes this catch longer than the current Ohio state record muskie. By Zack’s own admissions, however, he was so excited about the catch that he did not get an accurate weight.
Per Zack’s YouTube channel, he admits to getting so excited about his catch that he did not think to record the weight. Sadly, this was not the first time this has happened, either.
“Every time I catch a big fish I get so flustered and I just try to make sure I release the fish as soon as possible, cause big fish get stressed,” he says on his video description.
How Much Do You Think it Weighs?
Muskie enthusiasts from across the nations have commented across Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram to offer their expert opinions on the weight of Zack’s catch.
For many, they claim the fish would undoubtedly have captured the record. For others, they estimate the fish could be over ten pounds shy of the achievement.
Take a look at the video below and judge for yourself.
But for now, Joe Lykin’s record is still in tact…
What do you think? Is Zack’s muskie a potential state record? Let us know in the comments section below.
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