If it's a tiger, it's the new record. If it's not, this is still one big fish.
No matter what happens with this North Dakota muskie, few fish will ever compete with Ryan Getz's incredible catch. Where the drama is now coming into play is that if this 51-inch, 41.3-pound monster is a tiger muskie, it's the new state record. If it's a pure strain muskie, it comes in close, but doesn't take the top spot in the state. Currently, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department has sent tissue samples off for study. Whenever those results come back, Getz might have something pretty special to celebrate.
The current tiger muskie state record from 1976 measures out to only 44 inches long but weighs in at an incredible 40 pounds. Now, if this fish happens to be a pure strain, it would still have a long way to go to beat the record, which stands at 54 inches long and a hefty 46.8 pounds.
To catch a muskie this big is one thing, but to catch a muskie like this through the ice is something not many people will ever get to experience.
Congrats, Ryan! What a fish!
NEXT: EVER HEARD OF MICRO-FISHING? IT'S GROWING IN A BIG WAY
