Rochester Man Catches Record-Breaking Largemouth Bass

So, I'm probably the last person who should be writing about a fishing record... But this is pretty cool.

The last time I went fishing, I thought I had hooked an absolute monster of a fish.. Turns out, I had my fishing pole - or shall I say, the borrowed pole that did NOT belong to me - tangled in the boat engine.

Bye-bye, fishing pole. Oops. My bad.

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That was about two decades ago, and needless to say, I haven’t picked up a fishing rod since. I will happily join you on the boat, though! I’ll sit there, soak up some sun, watch everyone else do the actual work, and offer top-tier moral support. That is truly where my fishing skills begin and end.

So when I hear about an actual record-breaking fish being caught right here by someone from Rochester, I’m genuinely impressed.

Andy Kilen of Rochester reeled in a massive 22.5-inch largemouth bass out of Lura Lake in Blue Earth County back in May. And, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has officially crowned it the new Minnesota catch-and-release state record!

Now THAT is how you’re supposed to go fishing. Andy's record just secured him the ultimate bragging rights and one heck of a story to tell for the rest of his life.

(Side note: if you're wondering about the "previous record," Minnesota's catch-and-release category for largemouth bass was previously sitting as an "open record" slot with a 22-inch minimum requirement to claim it. Andy didn't just meet the mark—he edged past the requirement by half an inch to make history!)

Also See: These Are The Most Snake-Infested Lakes in Minnesota

Huge congratulations to Andy on an incredible catch, an even better memory, and definitive proof that the fish really was "this big."