Maryland State Record Muskellunge

muskellunge

In March 2022, a dedicated Maryland angler set a new nontidal state record for muskellunge, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Kyle Mullenix of Hagerstown caught the 33-pound, 49-inch long record muskie on March 2 along the banks of the upper Potomac River.

Often called the "fish of ten thousand casts," muskellunge are the largest freshwater fish in Maryland and among the most difficult to catch.

Mullenix is credited with the first Maryland state fishing record of 2022. The 32-year-old lifelong angler said he has spent decades trying to catch a muskie. His record catch was made using a 7-foot spinning rod and live bait.

The catch surpassed the previous Maryland state record held also by a Washington County resident, Tessa Cosens, whose catch tipped the scales at 32.5 pounds. 

The catch was weighed on a certified scale by George Rowe of Ernst Country Market in Clear Spring and verified as a muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) by a DNR biologist. 

DNR maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions; Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal and Invasive, and awards plaques to anglers who achieve record catches. Fish caught from privately-owned, fee-fishing waters are not eligible for record consideration.

Anglers reporting a potential record catch should call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. The fish should be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed and certified by the department.

The upper Potomac is one of the most popular areas in Maryland for muskie fishing. One of the largest rivers in the region, the Potomac River has several important recreational fisheries including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, blue catfish, and northern snakehead.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Kentucky Cave Run Lake Muskie Fishing

Cave Run Lake is located on Kentucky’s Licking River in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The 8,700-acre reservoir is often called "the Muskie Capital of the South," due to its outstanding muskellunge fishery.

Angler Sarah Terry of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, caught the current Kentucky state-record muskellunge in Cave Run Lake in November 2008. The record setting muskie was 54 inches long and weighed 47 pounds. A clipped fin revealed that the fish was stocked by the KYDFWR.

Since 1973, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KYDFWR) has stocked 105,000 muskellunge into Cave Run Lake. Cave Run Lake is one of three quality muskellunge reservoirs managed by the agency.

source: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Musky T Shirts

The muskellunge or musky is one of North America's most renowned game fish. The species ranges from the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes basin, to areas of Canada in the north and west.

These top level fish hide among aquatic plants, submerged logs or other cover, waiting to ambush their prey. Muskies eat perch, suckers, catfish, minnows, sunfishes and other fish. Large individuals have been known to consume amphibians, waterfowl, and rodents.

The musky is one of the most popular species of fish seen on t shirts. The species has a cult following and is widely regarded as one of North America's top gamefish.

Musky are not only elusive, but cunning and difficult to land. Their keen eyesight warrants using light line but their teeth can easily slice thru mono leaders. If an angler is lucky enough to set the hook and not be cut off, muskies often leap and shake the hook.

For anglers that have caught one or more muskies, this shirt makes a great gift to remember the occasion by.

Got Musky? Logo T-Shirt

Maryland State Record Musky

A 12 year-old West Virginia boy has set a new Maryland state record for musky (muskellunge) with a 31.75 pound fish.

On April 14, Kenneth Files of Falling Waters, W. Va., and his father were fishing in the Potomac River, which was in a flood stage.

The young angler spotted an eddy and cast a large white plastic grub lure into the stained waters and a large fish took the bait

The monster musky, measuring 45 inches long with a girth of 24 inches, was eventually maneuvered  into shallow waters and landed.

The previous Maryland state record musky of 28.25 pounds was also caught in the Upper Potomac River.

Kentucky River Spring Musky Fishing

Kentucky musky (muskellunge) anglers may want to plan a trip to the Kentucky River this spring. For 2011, population sampling on the Kentucky River is showing healthy populations of species such as musky, white bass, and sauger. The research is conducted annually by fishery biologists with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The Kentucky River may be the most overlooked muskellunge fishery in the state. Biologists for the state typically see muskellunge below the locks and dams on the Kentucky River each spring. This year researchers found good numbers of muskellunge over 30 inches and several over 40 inches.

The mouths of tributaries near locks and dams on the Kentucky River could lead to a muskellunge fishing field day, with high numbers of these toothy predators in Cedar Creek  According to biologists, suckers and buffalo fish are, preferred prey of muskellunge, and many of these fish migrated into Cedar Creek this spring. The muskellunge followed and are plentiful in some areas of the creek.

According to Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, anglers should expect good fishing on the Kentucky River this spring.