ST PAUL, Minn — Anglers itching for a spot in the record books just had their chances significantly increased, thanks to a change made by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Starting March 1, a whopping 22 species of fish will be eligible for the DNR's catch-and-release record program. It allows anglers to apply for a record by submitting a photo with measurements and documentation from a witness who was there when the fish was caught. Previously, only muskellunge, northern pike, lake sturgeon and flathead catfish were eligible for records, but now more fish are invited to the party.
Species being added to the catch-and-release category March 1 are blue sucker, bigmouth buffalo, bowfin, brook trout, brown trout, channel catfish, freshwater drum, lake trout, largemouth bass, longnose gar, rainbow trout, sauger, shortnose gar, shovelnose sturgeon, smallmouth bass, smallmouth buffalo, tiger muskellunge and walleye. The additions are a response to the increasing popularity of the catch-and-release record program, and an attempt to raise the profile of native rough fish.
“Angler stories and photos of the huge fish caught from Minnesota’s lakes, rivers and streams generate major excitement,” said Mandy Erickson, fisheries program consultant. “We also hope the buzz around some of these records brings more attention to native rough fish, which, besides being fun to catch, are important to aquatic ecosystems.”
There are two other categories of Minnesota fish records: historical weight records, and certified weight documented by keeping a fish and weighing it on a state-certified scale.
Minnesota's record fish program has been managed by the state’s fisheries resource agency in various forms for nearly 100 years. For more on the program, including minimum fish length and weight requirements for new record submissions, is available on the Minnesota DNR website.
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