13-year-old Angler Reels in Monster Muskie
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.06.16
A father and son outing on Wisconsin’s Green Bay led to one 13-year-old catching the fish of a lifetime. On March 29, 13-year-old Zach Kohlbeck reeled in a massive muskie that measured in at 54.5 inches long and 28 inches in girth. Kohlbeck and his father released the fish, so they had to estimate its weight, which is believed to be around 60 pounds.
“It was fun,” the young angler told WTAQ. “The pole was bent over completely. I thought it was going to break the pole.”
Kevin Kohlbeck, Zach’s father, said they were aiming for walleye. When the anglers initially hooked the large muskie, they mistook it for carp. Shortly after the pair realized that the fish was actually muskellunge, they worked quickly to bring it in and release it safely.
13 year old, Zach Kohlbeck caught this 54-inch ‘skie out on Green Bay while he was walleye fishing with his dad earlier this week.It’s crazy how many giant muskies like this are caught each year incidentally!
Posted by AnglingBuzz on Thursday, March 31, 2016
“Musky was out of the water maybe a minute at the most, we were pretty delicate with it, we were worried when we went to put it back in the water, but it took off, it gave us a tail splash, about 2 gallons of water at both of us and it was gone,” Kevin Kohlbeck told WBAY.
Gone, but not forgotten. Kohlbeck says he is considering having a replica of the fish made for his son to mark the occasion.
You can watch an interview with the anglers below:
