Fishermen break Minnesota state records for whitefish, golden redhorse

(FOX 9) - Two fisherman are being highlighted after they caught state record-breaking fish this year, including one fisherman who broke his own record.

Billy King, of Oklahoma, reeled in a record 13-pound, 9-ounce whitefish while ice fishing with two other anglers on Lake of the Woods in April.

King told the DNR, who certified the record, that he was having little luck at his spot while his friends reeled in walleye. But he decided to stick to his guns and his persistence paid off with him not only reeling in the biggest walleye of the day but also catching the whitefish.

About two weeks before his catch, Ethan Rasset was breaking his own record.

On March 24, the DNR says Rasset was on Otter Tail River, fishing with a friend when he caught a golden redhorse that he thought might be a record. Rasset had a pretty good gauge for the record size because he had already held the redhorse record with a 4-pound, 8-ounce fish.

When weighted, Rasset was elated to learn the new redhorse weighted in at 4 pounds and 13 ounces.

In a statement from the DNR, Rasset said, “Very few people can say they have broken a state record twice!”

FOX 9 says congrats to both anglers!