This is a good reason to cut a bigger ice hole!
When it comes to ice fishing, most anglers cut a single small hole or a double or triple hole at most for their angling purposes. Mostly because almost no one goes out expecting to catch a fish that's too big to fit through the hole. This is the situation the anglers in this video found themselves in.
These guys are fishing the St. Croix River in Minnesota when one of them hooks into a massive 120-pound sturgeon. After giving the angler a nearly 45-minute fight, the anglers realize the fish is too big for the hole they have drilled!
What happens next is a mad scramble to figure out a solution and it requires a team effort with several other anglers on the scene.
Sturgeons are true river monsters that watched the dinosaurs come and go from this planet. They are the ultimate survivors and it's not surprising that this one wasn't captured without an extreme fight. Although everyone hopes to catch a big fish, let's be real, we don't all expect to catch a 120+ pound fish every time we head out!
Fortunately, they were able to drill some additional holes to make one giant one to pull the massive fish's head through. Five in all were used to land this record-breaking fish. According to the video's description, it was 78 inches long and had a 29.5-inch girth. No wonder it wouldn't fit through the hole!
We were glad to see them release this dinosaur back into the river to fight another day. A fish of this size could be as much as 60 or 70 years old and we respect that. It takes a long time for these living fossils to grow.
We suppose the lesson here is to always drill a larger hole than you're expecting while ice fishing. Because you just never know what's going to take your bait!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: PETA IS NOW GOING AFTER FISHERMEN
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