WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed a Washington County man has set a new non-tidal state record for muskellunge.
The record fish is 33-pounds and 49-inches. It was caught by Kyle Mullenix of Hagerstown on March 2, along the banks of the upper Potomac River.
Muskies are regarded as the "fish of ten thousand cats," and they're the largest freshwater fish in Maryland. They're also among the most difficult to catch.
This is the first Maryland state fishing record of 2022 and it belongs to Mullenix. The 32-year-old lifelong angler said he spent decades trying to catch this fish. After using a 7-foot spinning rod and live bait, he finally caught one.
"He put up a good fight, but we didn't think it was that big until it was on the bank," Mullenix said.
The previous record was also held by a Washington County resident. Tessa Cosens also caught the same fish, but it weighed in at 32.5 pounds.
A DNR biologist verified the fish as a muskellunge and it was also weighed on a certified scale by George Rowe of Ernst Country Market in Clear Spring.
