https://www.startribune.com/muskie-m...eler/601177652
Fishing record-chaser Arthur “Art” Weston has seen his share of big catches with nearly 40 yet-to-be-beaten world records under his belt. But when Minnesota muskie expert Nolan Sprengeler took him out on Mille Lacs last week to go for a new muskie record, Weston tried something he never had before — night fishing.
“Having never night fished before was a wild experience for me,” Weston, who lives in Kentucky, said in a statement to the Star Tribune on Thursday. “Casting these massive lures into the darkness and the depths is frankly a bit unnerving.”
But the experiment worked.
On Oct. 29, his second night on Mille Lacs, Weston, with Sprengeler as his guide, landed the mother of all muskies, a 54.33-inch or 138-centimeter fish (measured from the tail to the fork) which he believes is likely to set the all-tackle length world record for the species. The record is currently pending and under review by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The fish measured 57.5 inches from the tail to the tip.
Weston had never fished with Sprengeler before, but had heard good things about him from other anglers. Weston, who last year made headlines for catching a 283-pound alligator gar, contacted Sprengeler to come up with a plan to try for the all-tackle length world record for muskie. They agreed to fish at night, Weston said, because the bigger muskies can often be the most “lure shy.” Possibly they’ve been caught and released before. Or they are old enough and smart enough to recognize an artificial lure.
After no luck the first night, the pair set out at about 6:30 p.m. on the second to a few of Sprengeler’s favorite spots. Weston’s lure “got smashed” about 30 yards out from their boat just before midnight. The hit made him let out an audible “Ooof,” Weston said.
“The strike was not what I was expecting, it was like a Mack Truck grabbed my lure and headed the opposite direction,” he said.
Sprengeler had told him to reel hard and fast and as he began to see the torpedo-like silhouette come to the surface, Weston yelled, “It’s big!”
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To that Sprengeler yelled back, “I know!”
After netting the fish, the fishermen looked at each other and Weston remembered shouting in excitement, “It’s long!”
In similar fashion, Sprengeler responded, “I know!” telling Weston “I think this is the one.”
