A 45-inch muskellunge caught and returned July 17 to the Schuylkill River at Norristown has gone viral on Facebook, fascinating people who rarely see that species of fish and even more rarely see a fish that size.
Muskies, also known as the "fish of 10,000 casts" for the angling often involved in catching one, are among the largest fish in Pennsylvania waters.
According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the 5 largest muskies registered in Pennsylvania last year ranged from 41.5- 52 inches in length and weighed 18.5-40.5 pounds. The state record, based on weight, is a 54-pounder caught in 1924 in Crawford County's Conneaut Lake.
Kevin Rodenbaugh, the 20-year-old King of Prussia angler who made the July 17 catch, did not weigh his fish, but after taking photos released it without weighing it. He did hoist the fish for a photo and subsequently estimated it to have weighed 30-40 pounds.
According to the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, a regional promotion program, the musky has been shared nearly 200,000 times on Facebook since Friday.
It was Rodenbaugh's first muskie and he caught and landed it on the light fishing gear he normally uses for much smaller fish.
Under constant threat on having the oversized fish break the line and escape, Rodenbaugh battled the fish for about 15 minutes and then, with the help of a fishing buddy with a too-small net, landed the monster.
"He was jumping out of the water like a tar pit. It took like 15 minutes to get him in," Rodenbaugh said, adding that is wasn't without a few battle wounds.
When he picked up the fish by reaching his hand under the gill, his finger was sliced open by the gill plate. In his photo with musky he is using his shirt as a bandage.
Even with that photo, there were several Facebook commenters that doubted the authenticity and claimed the picture was Photoshopped.
That reaction didn't surprise Rodenbaugh, who explained, "As soon as I showed it to my mom, my mom asked me that exact same question."
However, a video of the catch, also posted to Facebook, appears to support Rodenbaugh's size estimates.
The angler said he has been fishing in that area of the Schuylkill River for about 3 or 4 years. He said he usually gets good catches there, including a catfish he weighed at 58 pounds.
The Schuylkill River watershed encompasses nearly 2,000 square miles. The river was once used to transport coal and manufactured goods, which impacted its health, but it's making a comeback.
"The improvement in water quality up and down the Schuylkill River has been remarkable over the last 20 years, largely due to the incredible efforts of many dedicated partnerships and collaborations, including the Schuylkill Action Network and Schuylkill River Greenways' River Restoration Fund," said Schuylkill River Greenways NHA Executive Director Elaine Paul Schaefer.
"Working together, these organizations have funded millions of dollars toward projects and programs that directly and positively impact water quality, and these investments have paid off. The Schuylkill River is now healthy enough to support a robust recreational industry, including kayaking, boating and fishing."
For more about the Schuylkill River region, visit GoSchuylkillGreenways.com.
Here's more about big fish in Pennsylvania:
- What are the biggest fish ever caught in Pennsylvania?
- What were the biggest fish caught in Pennsylvania in 2017?
- Monster catfish stalking Susquehanna River
- Where can you find the most trophy trout in Pennsylvania?