Idaho angler Thomas Francis broke the state record for northern pike with this 40.76-pounder caught at Hayden Lake. (Idaho Fish and Game)
Idaho has a new state-record northern pike, and it's a monster. The 40.76-pound northern caught by Thomas Francis at Hayden Lake on March 21, and certified by Idaho Fish and Game, beat a 13-year-old record, the agency said.
Francis' catch measured 49 inches long and 26.5 inches in girth. The previous record, caught in 2010 at Lower Twin Lake, weighed 40.13 pounds. Hayden and Lower Twin lakes are both located in northern Idaho.
"Pike is what I go after all the time. I spend almost everyday fishing for pike. As soon as the ice is off and until it comes back," Francis