Magnifcatch

A priest who used the power of prayer to hook a king-sized walleye last winter is now selling the fish that made him famous.

Rev. Mariusz Zajac is hoping to receive $200,000 to $500,000 for the catch, which became an ice-fishing world record and resulted in international media attention.

"It's not an easy decision to make. But I feel I have a duty," said Zajac, who was born in Poland and is priest at the Canadian Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Carrot River, south of Tobin Lake.

"I could keep it for myself in my cabin to look at or use it for the good of others. I have already looked at it for the past six months, so . . . "

The walleye weighed 18 pounds and was 361/2 inches in length. The world record walleye for open water was caught in 1982 in Arkansas, weighing 22 pounds, 11 ounces.

Zajac, 43, was on the verge of packing up his rod and reel after a futile evening of fishing in January. He decided to recite the Canticle of Mary, a prayer of gratitude, and jig at the same time. Within minutes, he was squeezing a 22-inch wide fish through a 10-inch hole in the ice. [Source]