02-25-2004, 09:26 AM
The biggest fish I ever caught and had no choice but to release(snagged in the tail, and no open season on that river) was a lake sturgeon that was almost 13 feet long. It was caught on 8 pound test in late November when my cousin & I were fishing for walleyes on the day before deer season. I fought the fish for 45 minutes(low metabolism because of cold water, otherwise it wouldn't have been caught at all), and my cousin kept on jigging walleyes in as I was being pulled around an eddy. 2 feet up from the tail, the fish was big enough that I would have had a tough time reaching around it with my arms. If it would have been legal, I would have had to beach it, as we were in a 14 foot john boat. I have no earthly idea how much that fish weighed. I just took my jig out of it, and watched it sink off into the water. My cousin has caught alot of sturgeon in his days, and it was by far the biggest he has seen in his life.
Otherwise..10#+ pound walleye; 8# Sauger(male); 13 1/2 pound northern pike; 1 1/2 pound crappie; 15 # + Chinook salmon; 1# perch; 1# bluegill; 4 1/2 pound smallmouth; 50#+ buffallo carp; 25#+ carp.
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Otherwise..10#+ pound walleye; 8# Sauger(male); 13 1/2 pound northern pike; 1 1/2 pound crappie; 15 # + Chinook salmon; 1# perch; 1# bluegill; 4 1/2 pound smallmouth; 50#+ buffallo carp; 25#+ carp.
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