On Memorial Day, and our last day camping at Mille Lacs, I caught this 20-inch smallmouth bass. It was a perfectly calm morning, something unusual on Mille Lacs, which made us rethink our strategy since we could see them, yet they were not biting. My Dad only had one topwater lure and was the only who had caught a fish that morning. After teaching me how to work the Skitter Pop lure, he let me use it. On my fourth cast with my new lure and with the new technique I had just learned, I hooked this fish!

- Katie Vorderbruggen, Champlin

Priceless expression

Adam Walsh, 11, of Blooming Prairie with a big bass he caught and released on Cannon Lake in Faribault. "We were fishing with a worm and a bobber and whammo, this guy just attacked," said Adam's mom, Jennifer. "I didn't have a scale or a tape measure, but we are guessing it was about 5 pounds. The size doesn't matter, as the look on his face is priceless!"

Nokomis beauty

Blake Carney, 24, of Minneapolis holds a 38-inch northern he recently caught at sunset using a Dardevle on Lake Nokomis. "The fish ran hard three times, testing my gear to the limits," he said. "Thankfully a guy on the dock helped me land the monster." Carney released the fish.

Trophy tales
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