Anglers Set 2 Different Catch-And-Release Records On Same Day

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Two Minnesota anglers set different catch-and-release records on the same day last month.

The Department of Natural Resources says that on May 8 Cindy Pawlowski, of Frazee, caught a record lake sturgeon and Steven DeMars, of Stillwater, caught a record flathead catfish.

Both were first-time records, as the state fish program was recently expanded to include catch-and-release records.

Pawlowski's record sturgeon was reeled in on Rainy River in Koochiching County. It measured 62 and 7/8 inches in length and 29 inches in girth.

DeMars' catfish was caught on the St. Croix River in Washington County. His catch was 47 inches in length and 30 inches in girth.

The new catch-and-release records were put in place following the rise in popularity of catch-and-release fishing, the DNR said. Catch-and-release records are available for muskellunge, lake sturgeon and flathead catfish.

While traditional fish records are set according to a fish's weight, catch-and-release records are set on measurements of a fish's length and girth. An angler must also be photographed with the fish.

For more on catch-and-release records, click here.