As the 62-year-old fisherman tried reeling it in, he said the fish fought him for about 25 minutes. The fish lost the battle, but it would soon be named the state record walleye. “It was so big that it actually broke the net,” said Nicholson, of Connellsville in Fayette County. The state department said Nicholson was targeting walleyes with “a spinning reel equipped with 6-pound test and a live creek chub attached to a number two hook, weighted down with bb-size split shot and a slip sinker.” They had a lot of success catching fish on Oct. 28 — “the best day ever” — but it wasn’t until about 6:45 p.m. when that huge walleye tugged on the line.