Sturgeon numbers are gaudy; fishing family's, too

As custom cabinetmakers, Greg, Julie and Blake Peterson of Effie, Minn., are meticulous measurement-takers.

So, the 1,260 lake sturgeon entries in their fishing log are spot-on.

The family's first sturgeon was caught April 9, 2003. It measured 36-inches long. Their most recent catch was May 15, 2014. That sturgeon measured a whopping 69 ¾-inches long.

Between those catches husband Greg, wife Julie and son Blake have boated:

• 337 fish more than 50 inches in length.

• 55 fish more than 60 inches in length.

• Two fish 69 inches or longer. Greg caught a 69-incher. Julie, 69 ¾.

• 118 fish marked with a DNR population estimate tag.

• 80 sturgeon in a single day.

"We've enjoyed amazing fishing," Julie Peterson said. "Our records are testament to the value of catch-and-release fishing." She said they have caught some DNR-tagged sturgeon multiple times and one sturgeon four times. They have never kept a fish.

Greg Peterson joked that he and Julie are the reigning royalty of Minnesota sturgeon tag information. After they reported their 26th tagged fish, Tom Heinrich, fisheries biologist for the DNR at Baudette, sent them an e-mail saying they were the "king and queen" of tag returns.

Heinrich knew of no others who had caught so many tagged fish. Since then, the Petersons have caught 92 more.