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.
Another record fish looks to have come out of Mille Lacs. This time it’s a 54-inch muskie.
The International Game Fish Association is still reviewing information to see if the massive muskie broke the all-tackle length world record.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 8, 2024 at 12:57AM
“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!”
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.”
After measuring and taking photos, the massive muskie was released safely.
Sprengeler, who didn’t respond to requests for comment Thursday, is no stranger to huge muskies. In November 2021, Sprengeler, of Plymouth, landed a massive muskie of his own on Mille Lacs that measured 57¾-inch and weighed 55 pounds, 14 ounces. For that catch, Sprengeler and two friends had to break the ice for about 100 yards to get his boat into open water on the lake’s west end.
The weather was more cooperative during the most recent trip.
Shannon Fisher, a DNR fisheries manager, said he’s heard about the catch on Mille Lacs via media reports. Minnesota has its own record fish program, but as of Thursday afternoon, no one had applied for a new catch-and-release muskie record.
Weston said he has submitted all of the documents needed for the IGFA.
“It was such a great feeling and experience that I will always remember,” Weston said.
Staff writer Tony Kennedy contributed to this report.
The International Game Fish Association is still reviewing information to confirm if the massive muskie caught by Art Weston, assisted by Plymouth's Nolan Sprengeler, broke the all-tackle length world record.
