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Minn. Shutdown Means State Muskie Record Stands

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Because of Minnesota's government shutdown, an Arizona man will never know if his monster muskie broke a state record from 1957.

John Gergen of Phoenix, Ariz., caught it July 1 on Lake Sallie. Gergen says he practices catch-and-release, but it died after five hours of revival attempts.

Gergen says it measured 57.5 inches and weighed 54 pounds on a home scale. The record was 54 pounds and 56 inches.

But because of the shutdown, the local DNR office was closed so he couldn't get the catch verified and nobody told him to get it weighed on a certified scale before he took it to a taxidermist.

Gergen says he isn't sore the fish won't make the record books. Many anglers believe the record has been broken several times by muskies that were caught and released.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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