A 12-year-old American girl from Gilbert, Arizona, has set a unique junior world record by catching a 79-centimetre muskellunge, Outdoor Life reported.
Madilyn Davis landed the record fish on 4 July at Long Lake, securing her position as the first official junior world record holder in the length category for the species.
Davis had travelled to Long Lake with her parents in July for a family fishing trip. Upon arrival, the young angler told her parents that she intended to break a world record during the excursion, though she faced persistent bad luck throughout the trip.
On 4 July, the final day of the vacation, a large fish broke off her hook while the family was angling. As her parents began packing up their fishing equipment to depart, Davis decided to cast her line into the water one last time.
Davis said that it was her final cast of the trip and that she initially believed her line had become snagged on aquatic weeds. She then felt a strong tug, prompting her father to notice her fishing rod bending completely in half and shout instructions for her to reel in the line.
It took Davis five minutes to bring the large fish under control and pull it to safety. Her father had brought along an official International Game Fish Association record chart to evaluate potential record catches on site.
After measuring the muskellunge at 79 centimetres, the family photographed the fish and released it back into Long Lake before submitting the catch documentation to the International Game Fish Association for official verification.
International Game Fish Association rules and conservation
The International Game Fish Association, founded in 1939 and headquartered in the United States, serves as the global governing authority for sport fishing records and marine conservation. The organization maintains categories for weight records as well as length-based catch and release records across freshwater and saltwater species.
The length record category for muskellunge among junior anglers was created only recently by the association. Because no prior length record had been established in the junior division for the species, Davis was confirmed in September as the first world record holder in the newly formed category.
Muskellunge characteristics and habitat
The muskellunge, commonly known to anglers as the muskie, is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to lakes and rivers across eastern and central North America. As the largest member of the pike family, the species is distinguished by its elongated body, broad snout, and sharp teeth.
Muskellunge are notoriously elusive predators that hide among weed beds and submerged structures to ambush prey. Due to their predatory caution and rarity relative to other freshwater game fish, anglers frequently refer to the species as the fish of ten thousand casts, making record catches particularly notable in sport fishing circles.
Junior angling achievements
The confirmation of Davis's catch follows another major junior angling milestone previously reported in international fishing records. A 13-year-old Canadian girl established a junior world record after catching a bluefin tuna weighing 322 kilograms.
That catch broke a junior record that had stood for 12 years, surpassing the previous record weight by 42 kilograms. Junior record categories established by global fishing bodies aim to encourage youth participation in sport fishing while emphasizing sustainable angling practices.
