Big Mille Lacs Pike Approved as State Record

A day that began with a double catch ended with a catch-and-release fishing record in Minnesota.

Minnesota has its first state catch-and-release record for northern pike after the report of a 43 1/2-inch fish caught in early October on Mille Lacs Lake.

Maddy Ogg, a member of the Women Anglers of Minnesota, caught the huge pike Oct. 6 while trolling weed edges in 12 feet of water, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. She was fishing with Mike and Jenni Buckingham on a cold, windy day.

The group caught a double early in the day, a sign of fishing success to come. Five hours later the record fish struck.

“On the way to the lake that morning, we saw eight bald eagles and shortly after we started fishing, we landed a double – I knew it was going to be a good day of fishing,” Ogg told the DNR.

Ogg picked a great lake to have a great fishing day. Mille Lacs has the reputation of producing pike over 40 inches long and weighing more than 20 pounds.

There are two kinds state records in Minnesota — one for catching and keeping the biggest fish in each species based on certified weight; and the other for the length of a caught and released muskellunge, northern pike, lake sturgeon or flathead catfish.

Find current records and guidelines for each type of state record at mndnr.gov/recordfish.