A fisherman who caught a record largemouth bass opened a can of worms when he transported it alive in violation of Minnesota regulations.

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The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Mark Raveling's 8-pound, 15-ounce monster died of unknown causes during the weekend in a private tank. Raveling had been hoping to display the fish alive.

Officials say they have no desire to cite Raveling for transporting the fish, especially since the regulations appear to be self-contradictory. Minnesota bans the transportation of live game fish because exotic plant life and pests can be transported with them.

Raveling caught his bass -- the largest ever in the state -- in Auburn Lake. The lake is infested with Eurasian water milfoil, an introduced species that forms thick mats and has become a major nuisance.