This photo is of Dennis Wagner of Chippewa Falls. He latched on to this giant just as the Packers were starting to play. It took him until half time to land this beauty of a sturgeon. This fish was a whopping 65 inches long. Dennis says they (the sturgeons) were really hitting good that day because Minnesota lost to Carolina and the Packers won. Somehow I don’t think that had a whole lot to do with anything but what the heck, if he has a chance to rib anyone about the Vikings, he does. He was using cutbait, a St. Croix Rod and a Abu Garcia 5500 spooled with 40 pound test Power Pro. With all the rain we have been having he had to use 4 oz bell sinkers as the current was ripping.
The day before he caught this fish Dennis had one on that might have been a larger one. That would have truly been huge. Dennis said after feeling the fish on his line the fish somehow managed to wrap itself around his other line that he had out. After trying to hold the rod with one hand and trying to get the other rod reeled in and out of the way he decided what he had to do was to just cut the other line if he was gonna even have a chance at getting this fish to the boat. What happened next after he reached over, cut his line and was fighting the fish is hard to believe. He was making some headway on the fish and he sees the line that he cut off wrapped around the line he was reeling in. Things started feeling a bit weird and he learns that he cut the line that the fish was actually hooked on. Dennis then grabbed the line and wrapped it around his hand. The fish gave a mightly tug and as the line left Dennis’ hand it leaves a nice burn stripe across his palm. YOW that had to hurt. I guess a small burn is a lot better than being jerked out of the boat by a very large fish. Dennis said, “That was a strong fish but there was no way he was yanking me out of the boat”. I think he said it would have taken a train to get him out of the boat. My sides are hurting as I’m cracking up just thinking about this story. Man I wish I would have been there with a cam corder. Oh well back to the 65 incher. Dennis was fishing alone in his boat and couldn’t hold the rod high enough to be able to bend down and get the fish. Another friend, Ken, was out fishing Sturgeon also and was fighting his own giant of the deep downstream and just out of sight. They both started out only a short distance apart but when Ken caught his fish it took off downstream. With Jim driving Ken’s Alumacraft downstream into the rapids with the motor trimmed way up Ken has a battle of his own. Ken is also using a St. Croix rod but he has a Abu Garcia 6500 series reel spooled with Power Pro. Ken and Jim finally get the Sturgeon, a nice 53incher, into the boat and head back up to where they left Dennis. After they round the corner, Dennis calls them over for help in netting his fish. They succeeded in getting it in the boat and then it was time to relax, have a cold one and take the fish to the registration station. These are a couple of friends and it’s these stories that got me started in on sturgeon fishing. Anyone wanna go next year? I’m starting as soon as the season opens. Any fish that fights for half a football game gets my full attention. Please see next post with the same heading for more photo’s. 
October 20, 2002 at 3:38 am
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