May 8 is Chad Wentzel's lucky day.
Last year, Wentzel, of Minneapolis, landed the state record golden redhorse. A year later to the day, on the bank of the Root River in Fillmore County, he broke his own state record by one ounce.
Wentzel used 8-pound test line and worms as bait. He left the rig on the bottom to catch a 4-pound, 1-ounce golden redhorse that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed as a new state record. The fish is in the sucker family.
"Wentzel fishes with a group of fellow anglers who target all sorts of fish beyond walleye, bass and panfish," said Mike Kurre, who coordinates the state record fish program for the DNR.
"There are many types of fish to catch in Minnesota. We keep state records on five types of redhorse alone, and in all there are state records for 62 species of fish."
State records are measured by weight. To certify a fish as a record:
- Take it to a DNR fisheries office for positive identification.
- Fill out a record fish application.
- Locate a state-certified scale (found at most bait shops and butcher shops).
- Weigh the fish with two witnesses present.
- Send a clear, full-length photo of the fish with the application to the address listed on the application form.
The record-fish form and guidelines can be found online under the list of state-record fish at www.mndnr.gov/fishing/staterecords.html. The list is also published on Page 83 of the 2015 Minnesota Fishing Regulations booklet.
