New Md. Muskie Fishing Record Set in Potomac River

A muske-WHAT? There’s a new record catch for a Maryland fish with a funny name.

A 33-pound muskellunge was caught from the upper Potomac River last month, a feat the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says is especially impressive because these fish are so hard to catch.

Kyle Mullenix of Hagerstown, Md. caught the 49-inch-long, 33-pound “muskie”, as they’re known, March 2 on the upper Potomac. DNR has since confirmed that is a new nontidal state record, breaking the previous record set in 2017 with a 32.5-pound muskie.

Editor’s Note: We’ve seen it spelled “muskie” or musky”—we’re going with DNR’s “muskie”.

Mullenix is a lifelong angler who has been trying to catch a muskie for decades. They are the largest freshwater fish in Maryland and nicknamed “the fish of ten thousand casts”, with razor-sharp teeth and a high sensitivity to oxygen levels in the water. Field and Stream ranks the muskellunge as one of the top…