A man from Minnesota has recently tied with the state’s established catch-and-release record for northern pike.
Brad Lila, of Hudson Township, caught a northern pike that measured 46.25 inches in length and 23.66 inches in girth on Jan. 22. Officials at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced in a Facebook post in late March that his catch tied with the current catch-and-release state record.
Lila caught and released his tied record pike from the Mille Lacs Lake in Aitkin County, which is located in central Minnesota.
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"I set the hook as the line was quickly peeling out," Lila told the Minnesota DNR. "Immediately, I knew it was a very large fish because it peeled out drag and there was no stopping it. After about 10 minutes of fighting the fish, I knew that it might take more than me to land it."
Lila and two anglers in the area reportedly struggled to reel in the fish due to slush and ice that create obstacles in and around the lake, but the trio managed to get the pike’s measurements after about 30 minutes.
The Minnesota DNR reported that the northern pike Lila caught and released was "most likely" female and "carrying eggs before spawning," according to the agency’s press release.
Lila’s northern pike tied with the northern pike state record established by Brecken Kobylecky, of Geneva, Illinois, on June 19, 2021.
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Kobylecky was 15 years old at the time. The record pike Kobylecky caught didn't have a girth measurement provided, but it measured 46.25 inches in length. The 2021 record fish was caught and released from Basswood Lake in Lake County, which is located in northern Minnesota.
Lila told the Minnesota DNR that he was happy he set his record catch free.
"It was so satisfying seeing her swim away," Lila said, in a statement. "I am so very appreciative of the state of Minnesota for supporting a catch-and-release [record fish] program. It’s great to know that she’s out there passing along those incredible genes and that someone else may have a chance of landing her someday."
