Phil Richert and his two sons, 7-year-old Isaac and 9-year-old Teddy, launched their Starcraft aluminum fishing boat into the Minnesota River on the evening of June 6, 82 years after Allied forces launched D-Day on the coast of Normandy, France, in 1944.
But the Richert’s family mission that day was much different: a fun camping/fishing excursion they regularly enjoy during the summer. And while the trio certainly enjoyed another successful outing to add to their tradition, this time, one of Phil’s sons even joined the ranks of the many Minnesota anglers on a record-breaking run this year.
A Summertime Tradition
“The last couple years, I’ll take the boys on summer river camping trips onto the Minnesota River,” Phil told Wired2fish. “We find a nice mid-river sandbar, pitch a tent, set out some rods, and catch catfish.
“It’s great to get out with them and enjoy the river, a campfire, making ‘s’mores’ and catching some fish, too.”
The trio of river anglers positioned several heavy-duty spinning rods baited with bullhead and sucker baits in a river backeddy. As dusk settled in on their sandbar camping spot, they started catching a few small channel catfishs and freshwater drum.
“Teddy and I went back to our tent for a few minutes while Isaac watched the baited rods we had out,” said Phil, of Northfield, Minnesota. “It was about dark and we were not long for going to bed in our tent. Isaac was even in his pajamas as he was tending the fishing rods while Teddy and I were at the tent.”
The Evening’s Gar-gantuan Guest
Phil said at 9:45 p.m. one of the fishing rods bowed tightly and Isaac grabbed it.
“That rod had a cut sucker head bait on it in 10 feet of water to catch a channel catfish,” Phil recalled. “That’s what I thought Isaac was fighting when Teddy and I came running back to help him with his fish.”
“We got there with a net — and instead of a catfish, it was a huge gar.”
The anglers didn’t know what the catch-and-release length state record was for gar. But Phil knew Isaac’s was a big one and snapped some photos of the fish before releasing it.
Setting a New Record
He later checked what the Minnesota record was for shortnose gar. Phil learned that the record category was open and required a 30-inch fish. As the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) noted, Isaac’s gar is the first one reported to the agency “that has met the minimum length requirement since the DNR added the species to the record fish program in 2024.”
“Isaac’s gar was 30.5 inches, so we sent photos to the state and, sure enough, he caught the official state record,” Phil said with pride. “The boys were just ecstatic, really pumped up about catching a fish that’s like a prehistoric dinosaur — and it’s a Minnesota record.”
Phil is checking into having a replica mount made of Isaac’s shortnose gar to hang in their home.
“Teddy is all about trying to catch a state record fish now, too,” Phil explained. “It’s brother rivalry, and if he can catch a Minnesota record fish we’ll have to mount it, too, so he can keep up with his younger brother Isaac.”
