40-Pound Northern Pike Reeled by an Angler Breaks 13-Year Fishing Record in Idaho

An angler from Idaho didn't expect to make a record-breaking catch when he went fishing from Hayden Lake in North Idaho last week.

Idaho Fisherman Catches Record-Breaking Northern Pike Fish

Thomas Francis is the new record holder for catching the biggest northern pike fish. The pike he reeled was more than half a pound heavier than its predecessor, which held the record for 13 years.

On March 21, Francis caught his record-breaking northern pike. He told Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) that he always goes for pike and has spent almost every day fishing for pike as soon as the ice is off until it comes back.

When he went fishing that day, he only wanted to catch a big pike, but he didn't expect to break a record. He used the same gear and the same approach.

He used an 80-pound test line and a lure to catch the record-breaking pike. Since the ice was on the lake, he cast his lure to the edge of the ice instead, and when it hit the water, it sank to the bottom.

When the lure hit bottom, he immediately felt the fish hit it.

The northern pike pinned itself to the bottom and kept going, peeling drag the whole time. At the time, he realized he was about to capture a special catch.

When the fish changed direction and came flying out of the water, Francis saw how huge the fish was. When he reeled the pike in, he suspected it could be a state record fish.

He immediately headed for the dock and found a boat with a scale and tape measure. However, the fish pegged the scale out at 30 pounds, so they had to find a bigger scale.

Francis was right that his catch was record-breaking.

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Idaho Fish Game (IDFG) Announces New Record-Breaking Northern Pike

Three days after making the biggest catch of his life, Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) congratulated Francis on landing a new certified state record northern pike from Hayden Like in North Idaho. IDFG made the official announcement on its Facebook page and Twitter account.

The pike weighed a whopping 40.78 pounds. It was 49 inches long and 26.5 inches wide. The organization said it was a "true monster of a fish."

IDFG also shared a snap of Francis carrying the monstrous fish, which is visibly wider than his shoulders.

Judy Dalberg Anderson said his catch was "awesome." Mary Baker said it was a "nice catch."

Candice Countryman jokingly said that it would be his dinner for a year because of its massive size. Kevin Baneck also said it was a great catch and hoped that Francis got a quality mount.

In a previous report from Science Times, another angler also broke a local record in Georgia after reeling a 70-pound flathead catfish. The previous record holder only weighed 64 pounds.