The fisherman caught a giant fish. It was longer than a human leg

Matthew Hammer is an avid fisherman. In May this year, he and his companion went to a reservoir in Minnesota, where they caught a huge lake char (Salvelinus namaycush).

What was its length?

The huge fish grabbed the hook. The DNR has officially confirmed the new record!

A fishing enthusiast disturbed the hook in Lake Superior. We didn’t have to wait long – one of the fish jumped at the bait.

It measured as much as 44 inches (or about 100 centimeters – which means it was much longer than a human leg).

The record, which was officially approved by the Department of Natural Resources, was reported by the foreign quarterly “Outdoor Life”.

Records were broken! All in Michigan

In 2025, anglers from the USA had a good run – they managed to set many new records. Several of them make a huge impression – these are fish that were much larger than the above-mentioned palia, caught by Hammer in May.

Here is the list:

• June – Carp (Cyprinus carpio), length 42.50 inches (107.95 cm), Ninth Street Pond, Alpena County, northeastern Michigan.

• August – Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), length 47.80 inches (121.41 cm), Saint Joseph River, Berrien County, southwestern Michigan.

• September – American pike (Esox masquinongy), length 54 inches (137.16 cm), Lake St. Clair, Wayne County, southeastern Michigan.

• May – Common Pike (Esox lucius), length 48 inches (121.92 cm), Lake Michigan, Delta County, northern Michigan. February – American whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), 28 inches (71.12 cm) long, Lake Superior near Baraga County, northern Michigan. May – Sun bass (Lepomis sp), length 12.50 inches (31.75 cm), Sand Lake, Clare County, mid-Michigan.