Daniel Wegener of Fort Totten, North Dakota, holds up a stringer with the 4-pound,
9-ounce bullhead he caught Sept. 27, 2024, on Devils Lake. The bullhead is the new
North Dakota state record for the species. (Joy Wegener photo from NDGFD)
Young Angler’s Catch Breaks Long-Held Record
Bullhead benchmark now at 4 pounds, 9 ounces.
At just 16 years old, Daniel Wegener of Fort Totten, North Dakota made history on September 27, 2024 by breaking a state record that had stood for more than 35 years. The teenager landed a massive 19-inch-long, 4-pound 9-ounce brown bullhead from Devils Lake in the northeastern part of his home state while fishing from his kayak.
According to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGFD), Wegener’s impressive catch shattered the previous bullhead record of 4 pounds, 1 ounce, set way back in 1988 by Riley Zavada of Wolford, who was also fishing Devils Lake. Using a small Mimic Minnow head tipped with a worm, Wegener proved that age is no barrier to landing record-breaking catches. Congratulations, Daniel!
