Angler's Muskie From Lake Bellaire Is World Record

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - It's one heck of a fish story.  A mid-Michigan man is now the owner of a World Record catch -- after reeling in a massive muskie upstate.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the muskellunge caught in Antrim County has been listed as an official world-record fish.

Joseph Seeberger of Portage landed the fish Oct. 13 on Lake Bellaire, about 25 miles northeast of Traverse City. The muskie weighed 58 pounds, was 58 or 59 inches long and had a girth of 29 inches. The DNR earlier said that the fish had the state record based on weight.

Seeberger said he'd been fishing for small-mouth bass with friends when he wasn't haven't much luck. He switched to live bait -- and that's when it happened.

"About two minutes later I had the fish on," Seeberger told WWJ Newsradio 950's John Hewitt.

A two-hour fight ensued. "Yeah, it was very tiring. Actually, I had to pull out probably a good hundred yards of my line off my spool," Seeberger said.

"I've always wanted to catch the record small-mouth, but this record muskie has been plenty of fun," he said.

This week, the DNR said has been listed as a world record by the International Committee of the Modern Day Muskellunge World Record Program. The committee is a group of muskellunge scientists, industry leaders, anglers and others who track records.

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