What a Whopper!

A state record for the Mackinaw or Lake Trout was nearly broken on Tuesday.

The 45-inch, 36-pound fish was caught in Flathead Lake by Captain Mike Howe of A Able Charters and his client John Muraski of Tucson, Arizona.

The entire measurements -- length, weight, and girth -- of the fish didn't break the state record, but the length of the Mackinaw is 2.5" longer than the record.

The previous record was set in 2004 with a 42.5-inch, 42.69-pound fish caught by Ruth Barber, also in Flathead Lake.

Howe said, "John actually said that he was going to hang that in his man cave, and Tina said, 'What man cave?', and then he said, 'The one I'm gonna build around this fish!'"

Howe posted on his website: "OK, so we didn't break the overall Lake Trout record, which computes both length AND weight, but a fish like this is what dreams are made of."

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