On The Water reader Matthew Magni recently landed, weighed and released a massive northern pike that was only 4 pounds short of the state record. Magni was ice-fishing in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts with friend Doug Faits when the fish hit at 10:30am. After a 10 minute fight to get the fish to the hole, they quickly unhooked the fish, weighed it and took measurements, shot a few pics and sent it back in the hole, unharmed. The fish weighed 31 pounds, was 50″ long and had a 23″ girth.

“I knew it was easily the gold pin fish for 2015, but being a huge pike fisherman I believe in catch and release, in order to preserve the fishery for these fish,” said Magni. He plans to have a fiberglass reproduction made by Northeast Taxidermy in Middletown, Connecticut.