JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Sam Wenner of Jamestown is more of a bass angler, so while fishing Spiritwood Lake it was natural for him to cast a bass lure.

To his surprise, he found the European cousin of the walleye on the other end of his line August 17th. The massive 35⅝ inch, 15.91 pound zander, pending routine genetic tests, has all the measurements to be a new state record.

According to the North Dakota Game & Fish Department, the previous record is held by Christopher Sayler of Jamestown caught July 17, 2003, in Spiritwood. The zander weighed 11 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 32 inches long.

Game & Fish stocked zander in Spiritwood Lake in 1989 as part of a one-time effort, but scrapped the program after concerns from neighboring states.

Photo provided by Sam Wenner