North Dakota man's monster 15-pound walleye catch breaks state's decades-old record
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The walleye, which was about 33-inches long, broke the state record set in 1959. (North Dakota Game and Fish Department)
A North Dakota man recently broke the state’s nearly 60-year-old record.
Neal Leier, an angler from Bismarck, reeled in a 15-pound, 13-ounce walleye from the Missouri River near Fox Island, "besting the old record by one ounce,” the North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced on May 18.
The walleye, which was about 33-inches long, broke the state record set in 1959.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It was just amazing to see something that big come up alongside the boat.”
The Pioneer Press reported that the fish was weighed on two certified scales before it made its way to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for official confirmation.
“It’s a rush,” Leier told the Pioneer Press. “It was just amazing to see something that big come up alongside the boat.”
While he’s been “bombarded” with calls and texts about his monster catch, the angler is now “back out fishing again,” he told the newspaper.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I’m trying to catch a bigger one,” he added.
Leier was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fox News on Thursday.