WEBSTER, S.D. –Two Minnesota anglers landed the fish of their dreams on Saturday, April 23, when they boated a 7 pound, 3 ounce smallmouth bass on Horseshoe Lake.

Barnesville, Minnesota’s Lyal Held boated the massive bass, breaking the previous record of 7 pounds, which was caught from Horseshoe Lake by Derek Valnes in 2013. Lyal’s fish was 19.5 inches in length and had an amazing 19 inch girth.

“These anglers had identified Horseshoe Lake as a great opportunity to break a state record,” said South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks’ (GFP) regional fisheries manager, Mark Ermer. “To my understanding, they had been pursuing the record for some time. This is a fish of a lifetime.” Ermer personally verified Held’s smallmouth as a state record.

To view a list of all of South Dakota’s state record fish, visit http://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/state-fish-records-list.aspx.

For a fish to qualify as a state record, anglers must have the fish identified by a state fisheries biologist and weighed on a certified scale. Other qualifications can be found on the state record fish application: http://www.gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/docs/state-record-fish-form.pdf.

-GFP-