Tessa Cosens Hauls in 32.5-Pound Fish
Tessa Cosens, 26, caught a muskie recorded at 32.5 pounds May 6 along the banks of the upper Potomac River in Washington County.
The record fish was 49 inches long with a 24-inch girth.
A relative newcomer to muskie fishing, Cosens – who is several months pregnant and had been feeling under the weather – was fishing along the riverbank using a 7-foot muskie rod and double-spinner. She snagged her record catch after a 15-minute struggle.
“All the guys around me stopped fishing and looked at me,” Cosens said. “There is no other fish that fights like a muskie.”
To help determine the age of the fish, Cosens is donating a sample of the muskie’s scales and cleithrum – a large bone above the gills – to the department for further analysis.
The department maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions – Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal and Invasive – and awards plaques to anglers who achieve record catches. Fish caught from privately-owned, fee-fishing waters are not eligible for record consideration.
Anglers reporting a potential record catch should call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. The fish should be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed and certified by the department.
