New Wisconsin Record Sturgeon?

[DonBo]

I heard a blurp on a local radio station about a 7'3", 185 lb sturgeon caught on Clam Lake near Webster, WI. Anyone else hear this? I did a google search and came up empty.

A thought though. Sturgeon fishing on Clam Lake is not allowed. The story said the angler who caught the fish tied a rope to it's tail and brought it to shore so the DNR could (and did) verify it. It was then released. Now if you can't fish for sturgeon, as soon as you tied it up, wouldn't that put it into your possesion? Wouldn't that be illegal? If so, would the record stand? (current state record is 170 lbs)

[DTro]

WOW, either way that is a huge fish, but yeah the sticky part is the possession thing. If the law reads anything like MN law in an illegal area, well then yes it cannot be a record. Several record fish (including a few caught by members here) have been caught during the C&R season up on the Rainy.

87” jeez that’s big

[DonBo]

I just called Big Mikes's Outdoor Sport Shop near Siren, WI. They confirmed a big sturgeon was caught in Clam Lake this week. It was caught by a walleye fisherman with 8 lb line, foul hooked in the tail. It took two hours to boat the fish. They took measurements, length and girth, got photos, then released it. No DNR was involved in verifying it. Obviously the weight was estimated, but according to the measurements, it was at least 185 lbs., large enough for the state record, but can not be entered. The fish is guessed to be over 100 years old.

Native american fisherman can keep sturgeon from this lake. They caught one early August that was 68" long, 61 lbs. A big fish in it's own right.

[mplspug]

My boss has a cabin by there and he told me about this today. I was Googling the proof and this was the first result. :|

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Used to have a cabin near there...very cool to hear.

[matthothand]

I'd like to see some sort of catch and release record keeping like the c&r portion of the master angler program just for instances like this. I know it'd be susceptable to cheating in some fashion but maybe a witness and photo on a certified tape would help. Just one of those ideas that sound good at first but aren't practical enough to be carried out. Definately a big fish! Too bad it ate the hook backwards though.

[Nick Kuhn]

I'd like to see some sort of catch and release record keeping like the c&r portion of the master angler program just for instances like this. I know it'd be susceptable to cheating in some fashion but maybe a witness and photo on a certified tape would help. Just one of those ideas that sound good at first but aren't practical enough to be carried out. Definately a big fish! Too bad it ate the hook backwards though.

Yeah that would be nice. When a picture of a truly large fish gets out anyway you get recognition anyway, the only thing you don't get is your name in the record books.