outdoors

Sarah Ludke, Eden Prairie

22.5-inch, 7-pound largemouth bass

Bryant Lake

(As told by boyfriend Jake Johnson)

"We had just got to our favorite fishing spot. Sarah was using a slip bobber and sucker minnow, and didn't have her line in the water for 30 seconds when her bobber went down. I knew she had a big one on by the way it was fighting. After a good battle and three jumps we got it in the net. That was the only fish she caught that day, and it was her largest bass yet. We released it.''

ELUSIVE MUSKIE: Curt Botko, 75, of Eden Prairie caught and released this 40-inch muskie on Lake of Woods. "While admitting that the fish might not be as exciting as his quest for a hole-in-one, it was definitely a big 'check-off' on his bucket list,'' said his wife, Kay.

BASS IN THE SLOP: Danielle Falstad, 15, of Maple Grove caught and released this 20-inch largemouth bass on Lake Betsy in Meeker County. The bass hit a jig and minnow in the 'heavy slop.'