As the old saying makes clear, “Records are meant to be broken,” and that’s just what Dale Hoffman of Ramsey, Minnesota did on July 7.
Hoffman caught a massive bluegill weighing 2.21 pounds from Big Stone Lake, located on the Minnesota-South Dakota border near the town of Ortonville, Minn.
According to Artie Arndt, owner of Artie’s Bait & Tackle in Big Stone Lake, Hoffman was using a slip-bobber rig set up with red worms when he caught the giant panfish in 10 feet of water. Arndt observed and photographed the fish and sold the bait worms to Hoffman.
The record-breaking bluegill was caught about 11 a.m., shortly after it was weighed on certified scales in the meat department of a nearby grocery store, according to Minnesota DNR assistant supervisor Kyle Anderson, who verified Hoffman’s catch as a bluegill.
“They caught it around 11 a.m. and they brought it to me at our Ortonville DNR office around 3 p.m.,” Anderson told Outdoor Life. “I can tell you, we sure won’t see many bluegills like that.”
Hoffman’s bluegill weighed 2.21 pounds and was 11.6 inches long. His fish tops the previous state record bluegill Posted by Chris Mulcahy Waterville, Minn. Mulcahy caught a 2-pound, 11.75-inch-long bluegill from Big Stone Lake on May 29.
According to Anderson, Hoffman’s new state record bluegill was a male fish.
“It’s very unusual for a male bluegill to be this large in size,” Anderson says. “Most big bluegills we see are mature female bluegills with roe. But not this one. This is the biggest male bluegill I’ve ever seen. I think it was at least seven years old.”
Anderson says Big Stone Lake has changed a lot in the last 30 years. He says the 26-mile long waterway is a “river lake” and is the source of the Minnesota River. While decades ago this lake was famous for walleyes, it is now offering excellent panfish and bass action.
“The lake averages only 16 feet deep, and the abundant vegetation has benefited the bass and panfish populations in Big Stone,” he said. “Because of the weeds it is rich in nutrients and fish. Even though it is shallow, there are not many deaths in winter because it is a fishpond in the river.”
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Anderson says Hoffman almost lost his record bluegill because the strong fish nearly snatched the rod from his boat before he could catch it and set the hook.
According to Anderson, “He was given a new rod and reel as a retirement gift, and his tackle was almost lost along with his record bluegill.” “I think he’ll have a taxidermist make a mount of his bluegill. It would be great if he displayed the mount with his rod and reel, he’s almost lost hold of it.”
