Easily the most amazing release I’ve seen

Maybe some of you guys have been around the block and seen some big fish come topside but for me to be able to witness this was a special thing.

I don’t know these folks, I had just come over to crowd their holes when one guy pokes his head out and says we’ve got a big Sturgeon on here so it might not be a good idea to put a line down. So I just hung out for about 15 minutes until they won this battle. Would have been great to get this coming to the hole with my new LX-9 but that would have been sketchy.

61” Sturgeon probably went about 80 lbs, caught on a pink 1/4 oz jig and minnow. He was using a full size bait casting rod

The pose
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The release

Clover leaf hole…looks like he/they were prepared to catch big fish.

I caught a huge one and no way could I fit it’s head up the 8″ hole. The gill plate was already pretty much 8″ itself.

So now if I suspect sturgeon coming to bite…I reel away. Tired of the long fight. LOL.

BoatsHateMe wrote:

61” Sturgeon probably went about 80 lbs,

Can promise you not an ounce over 55#, that one. Looks like 45# to me

Nice fish.

I was there when this young guy I know caught this one in pool 8. I taped it at 60″ and it weighed 74 pounds on an accurate scale. It seems have a lot more girth than the one in the photo and clip above.

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I based the weight on what I overheard them looking up estimates on length. They should have measured the girth. Impressive fish nonetheless.

I wondered about the cloverleaf hole. I’ve seen a number of them out there. I always thought it was illegal to fish out of bigger than a 12” hole. Is this different on boundary waters or designated fisheries?

Is it reasonable to attempt to drill out a whole bigger once you realize you have a fish like this on?

12″ is the law in WI. no max in MN. so legality would be dictated based on which side of the state line you are fishing on. that said, I’ve landed Sturg to 52″ through a single 7.5″ hole. A single 10″ would fit most Sturgeon, a single 12″ would make it easier though I think a saw would be the only way to make a 12. Or just fish the MN side and make a hole as big as you want

Wow, I havent caught anything like that, gonna have to add it to the bucket list.

I don’t need to know the exact spot, but roughly where on the river were you? Been thinking about trying for sturgeon one of these days.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Can promise you not an ounce over 55#, that one. Looks like 45# to me

I agree. 45-55#. 60” fish can reach into the 70# range but it would have to be shaped like a pregnant football. I don’t really measure my fish in lbs anymore anyway. 60” is a milestone fish. Pretty sweet nonetheless.

Those sturgeon are a hoot pulling them through the ice that’s for sure.
First time I pulled one through the ice when I saw the huge tail fin go by the hole it was nothing I ever felt before. Did not know how I would get it through the ice but I did with some help. 59 inch on 21 inch st.croix legend spring bobber and 6# asso heavy ice line and an 8inch hole. From all the circling the line was so twisted it was beyond using again but it didn’t fail me.
If you look back last winter InDepth had an episode on catching sturgeon on the St.Croix.