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MPR News Staff

Big fish: DNR's catch-release effort yields first Minn. records

Record flathead catfish
Steven DeMars of Stillwater, Minn., with the state record flathead catfish he caught and released on May 8 on the St. Croix River.
Courtesy of Minnesota DNR

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Minnesotans love their big fish pictures, and state conservation officials Monday showcased a couple of beauties — a giant sturgeon and beefy catfish that became the first catch-and-release records in Minnesota's expanded record fish program.

Cindy Pawlowski of Frazee, Minn., caught and released the lake sturgeon on the Rainy River in Koochiching County. The fish was 62 7/8 inches long with a 29-inch girth. Steven DeMars of Stillwater caught and released the flathead catfish — 47 inches long with a 30-inch girth — in the St. Croix River in Washington County.

Both were caught May 8, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said in a statement Monday showcasing the catches.

Minnesota's new catch-and-release length records are for muskellunge, lake sturgeon or flathead catfish. Anglers are required to measure and take a picture of the fish before releasing it. No one has yet offered evidence of a record caught and released muskie.

Record lake sturgeon
Cindy Pawlowski of Frazee, Minn., with the state record lake sturgeon she caught and released on the Rainy River on May 8.
Courtesy of Minnesota DNR

Anglers can still set records based on certified weight, which require the fish to be harvested, the DNR said.

"It's great to see these photos and applications and know there are still chances for other anglers to catch these enormous fish," Mike Kurre, who manages the DNR's record fish program, said in a statement.