Wisconsin man catches Illinois' largest walleye

[March 16, 2012]  CHICAGO -- A fisherman named Fred Goselin held the record for the largest walleye ever caught in Illinois for more than a half century before 15-year-old Nick Tassoni caught a bigger one in January. Now, even before spring break, Nick has lost the record.

On Sunday, a Wisconsin fisherman named Jim Zimmerman ventured about 20 miles south of the state line on the Pecatonica River and caught a walleye that tipped the scales at 15.08 pounds.

The record was verified Monday afternoon by a regional fisheries biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Zimmerman, who plans to mount the fish and put it on the wall of his home with some other really big fish, said he pretty much knew he had a record-holder on his hands even before he pulled the fish into his boat.

"My net man got a better look at it than I did, and he said, 'It's a giant and it's a record,' before we even had it in the net," said Zimmerman, 52.

Zimmerman quickly called Dan Palmer, a tournament organizer from the Rockford area, and asked how he could certify the catch as a record. Palmer told him to call the conservation police in the area. Palmer said that led the parties to Blackhawk Meats in South Beloit, Ill., where the fish, apparently loaded with mature eggs, was weighed.

It was on Jan. 7 that Tassoni had broken a record that had stood since 1961. The teenager was philosophical about losing the record he set on the same river.

"And the record falls.... AGAIN," according to note that Palmer said the freshman at Rockford Auburn High School posted on a fishing website shortly learning about Zimmerman's catch. "He didn't take my record away," the teen wrote. "He just added to his."

Zimmerman said he appreciated the message from the teen, whose fish weighed in at 14 pounds, 12 ounces. He also said that he didn't feel a bit bad about grabbing the record for himself.

"I'm out here every single day. I don't miss a beat," said the retired ironworker.

Zimmerman, Palmer and the regional fisheries biologist who verified the record said this record is made to be broken, too. Palmer said there have been walleye caught in Pecatonica that were a half-inch longer than the 31.5-inch walleye Zimmerman reeled in. They were just caught at a different time of year, when walleye aren't loaded with mature eggs like the one Zimmerman caught.

[Associated Press; By DON BABWIN]

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