next state record likely to be broken?

Given the recent massive walleyes caught in SD on Oahe, this got me thinking. Which of the more commonly-targeted game fish species are most likely to be broken anytime soon here in MN?

Pure strain muskie was recently broken here in 2021 (weight) and length (C & R) 2022 out of Mille Lacs.

I think it’s going to be smallmouth bass next, also out of Mille Lacs.

Don’t think northern pike or crappie is ever going to be exceeded. A 45 pound pike and a 5 pound crappie seem completely unrealistic given the current average size of these fish swimming around.

Smallmouth.

Walleye most likely to never get broken either.

I agree, Smallie out of Mille Lacs, but I would also say, whatever fish it is, it will come out of Mille Lacs.

Rock Bass – Leech.

-J

The state record White Bass was 20 inches long. On Pool 2 there are 18 inch fish being caught fairly regularly. Makes me wonder.

SR

My buddy broke the MN Coho Salmon record on his charter boat this year

Jon Jordan wrote:

Rock <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Bass – Leech.

-J

I came within an ounce 2 times on that thing.
One from Mille Lacs and once from the Sauk River. Both times I thought I had a huge crappie, till I saw the ol red eye.

I’ll actually guess it’ll be a largemouth out of Big Stone.

If we’re talking the weight records then agree the smallmouth record has the highest likely hood of being broken. It’s possible that a new record largemouth could be caught too.

There’s a chance the northern pike record could change in the next 5 years too if the DNR scrutinizes the records.

Steve Root wrote:

The state record White <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Bass was 20 inches long. On Pool 2 there are 18 inch fish being caught fairly regularly. Makes me wonder.

SR

We caught 2-3 white bass at 19-19.5 inches the past couple of years in Minn (not the Miss River though). The state record is 4lbs 8 ounces. Here is one my buddy caught from my boat at 4lbs 2 oz. I believe a new state record could be caught pre-spawn here in Minn (when they are fattest) since the season never closes for Whities.

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Wow, that thing is an absolute monster!

Sauger – Pool 4

Record is 6# 2oz and 23.75”

My PB is 22.75”, but I was in a boat with a 24” pulled last year (and released). If that fish was caught in March, it’d have went 6# for sure

FYI, the whole record system is doing a reset next year so expect a lot of them to be broken!

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/northland-outdoors/john-myers-column-dnr-plan-to-rework-minnesota-fishing-records-gets-it-half-right-half-very-wrong#:~:text=Starting%20March%201%2C%202024%2C%20the,as%20the%20official%20state%20records.

I want to see the exactly 5 pound, 0 ounce – 21″ Black Crappie from 1940 that was caught on the Vermillion River.

The 2 pound, 13 ounce bluegill with an unknown length caught in 1948 would be another interesting fish to see.

buckybadger wrote:

I want to see the exactly 5 pound, 0 ounce – 21″ Black Crappie from 1940 that was caught on the Vermillion River.

No kidding. Seems completely impossible given how hard it is to even catch a 2 pound slab.

The northern pike one from Basswood Lake is just as unreliable. 45 pound northern pike? 90% of the pike I catch these days are about 20 inches long.

Will be interesting to see which ones are de-classified starting in March.

gim wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>buckybadger wrote:</div>
I want to see the exactly 5 pound, 0 ounce – 21″ Black Crappie from 1940 that was caught on the Vermillion River.

No kidding. Seems completely impossible given how hard it is to even catch a 2 pound slab.

The <em class=”ido-tag-em”>northern pike one from Basswood Lake is just as unreliable. 45 pound northern pike? 90% of the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>pike I catch these days are about 20 inches long.

Will be interesting to see which ones are de-classified starting in March.

For as long as people have been fishing, the truth has been stretched and blatant lies have been presented as fact. That will never change. Hopefully some new system is more legitimate.

…that’s enough for now. The 19″ perch are snapping on the backwaters without the early ice pressure, and I’ve got a chance to get my work done early today and be in my boat

buckybadger wrote:

I want to see the exactly 5 pound, 0 ounce – 21″ Black <em class=”ido-tag-em”>Crappie from 1940 that was caught on the Vermillion River.

This one is always the one brought up for good reason. Was it actually 5lbs, if so I doubt it was a pure black. Probably a white x black hybrid, but would they have know about those in 1940?? Pretty skeptical about it and a few others.

Can’t read the article but I would support a record reset prior to 1980 where they started requiring a certified scale.

Rock Bass.. Mille Lacs… I caught it already and didn’t realize it until it was too late.

Rumor is the White crappie was broke but never reported or killed as they didn’t want to burn the lake. Made a replica.

Large or Smallmouth.

There is plenty of 7lb roaming down on the south west body of waters, its only a matter of time till somebody actually declares a +8lb. Smallmouth will be interesting I could see mille lacs however don’t count Women, Pelican, Vermillion and Leech is going to be a wildcard.

White bass, maybe smallmouth out of the same county.

I’m gonna go a different route and say Lake Sturgeon – continued habitat improvement efforts on the Rainy and St. Croix along with a growth in awareness and sport fishing popularity. They grow slow but some of those recovering fish populations that were young in the 1970s are now reaching the 70″+ sizes with even a few rare bigger survivors sure to be in the mix.

I agree it is probably going to be a Smallmouth Bass. It may come from Mille Lacs but like Charles I think there are several other lakes that could produce it. I also would not be surprised if the Muskie record was broken. Lots of really big fish swimming out there.

ThunderLund78 wrote:

I’m gonna go a different route and say Lake Sturgeon – continued habitat improvement efforts on the Rainy and St. Croix along with a growth in awareness and sport fishing popularity. They grow slow but some of those recovering fish populations that were young in the 1970s are now reaching the 70″+ sizes with even a few rare bigger survivors sure to be in the mix.

I was thinking the same thing. I think you can tag one over 75″ on Rainy – that should get the record or very close to it. Is there a keep season on the Croix?

tswoboda wrote:

I think you can tag one over 75″ on Rainy

Lake Sturgeon are one of four species that also has a C & R length state record category too so I could definitely see that one being broken with adequate length photos.

I think the other three are pure strain muskie, flathead catfish, and northern pike.

There will be many more C&R species records being brought into the system in the next 5 years. Looking forward to seeing that! The Channel Cat will be a fun one and eventually should top out at about 40″.

Hopefully whomever breaks my Sturgeon record opts to go with a Catch and Release rather than tagging and killing such a big beautiful beast.

3Rivers wrote:

There will be many more C&R species records being brought into the system in the next 5 years. Looking forward to seeing that!

I’m on board with this too. I was wondering when that program would be expanded.

Riverrat wrote:

White bass, maybe smallmouth out of the same county.

Goodbye, Rice or Mille Lacs county?

If I remember correctly, Brent Ehrler caught over a 7 pound smallmouth out of Mille Lacs way back in 2015 when they had the first Bassmaster AOY event there (the one that Feider won). Obviously there’s no way to know if that specific fish is still in there, but its not far from the state record which is 8 pounds even. One has to assume that 8 years later there are probably at least a few brownies in there at that size, or bigger.

If MN ever opens up a catch and release season before the traditional “opener”, that could play a big role. Heavier bass will be caught pre-spawn, especially in the southern portion of the state.

Article from the Messenger last year on this topic. Includes pic of the MN State Record 35.75 inch walleye.

http://www.messagemedia.co/millelacs/out-with-the-old-fish-records-in-with-the-new/article_bcf327d4-808e-11ed-95c0-ffaf7e9a0b4e.html

I hate poo-pooing someone else’s fish. But that walleye is not 35 inches….

-J.

gim wrote:

If MN ever opens up a catch and release season before the traditional “opener”, that could play a big role. Heavier bass will be caught pre-spawn, especially in the southern portion of the state.

Catch & Release season still wouldn’t make them eligible for weight records

As for the Catch-and-Release Records:

The DNR is proposing to add a total of 18 species to this list over a three-year span, as follows:

2024: Blue sucker, bowfin, channel catfish, freshwater drum, shovelnose sturgeon, and tiger muskie.

2025: Bigmouth buffalo, lake trout, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and smallmouth buffalo.

2026: Brook trout, brown trout, longnose gar, sauger, shortnose gar, and walleye.