TROPHY ROOM

Danny Gagner muskie and pike

Danny Gagner of East Grand Forks caught this 53-inch muskie (left) Oct. 6 on the Ontario side of Lake of the Woods. “Didn’t get a girth measurement on her, but after talking with a pretty reliable musky vet, he guessed it to be around 26 inches, which would put her at 40 pounds, give or take a couple,” Gagner writes. He released the muskie after a couple of photos. “We were trolling about 4 mph and when she hit,” Gagner said. “It was like my rod was gonna snap in half. She made about three runs and started alligator rolling at the end, thought we were gonna lose her for a second and I’d still be sleepless if that had happened!” The next day, Gagner released a 38½-inch northern pike (right), also on the Ontario side of Lake of the Woods.

October 10, 2012

Ruffed grouse

John Lundgren of Roseau, Minn., and a hunting partner shot these ruffed grouse Sept. 30 in Beltrami Island State Forest south of Warroad, Minn. “We did not have a dog but could have done considerably better with one,” Lundgren writes. “It is nice to see some birds for a change.”

October 04, 2012

Bruce Keifenheim walleye

Bruce Keifenheim of East Grand Forks won his $1 bet by landing this 29-inch walleye Sept. 28 on Lake of the Woods out of Baudette, Minn., while fishing with Brian Purcell of East Grand Forks. The fish was released after a quick photo. “The reflection from the fish eye makes it look like there are no eyes on the fish,” Keifenheim writes.

October 02, 2012

Ted Obregon perch

Ted Obregon of Grand Forks caught this 13-inch perch Sept. 23 on Devils Lake while fishing with a bottom bouncer and a worm house. Obregon said he didn’t have a scale to weigh the perch, but anglers at the cleaning shack estimated it weighed 1½ to 2 pounds.

September 24, 2012

Bruce Henschel walleye

Bruce Henschel of Hamilton, N.D., released this 28½-inch walleye Sept. 15 on Lake of the Woods.

September 24, 2012

Craig Hanson waterfowl

Craig Hanson of Grand Forks had a successful waterfowl opener, shooting this Canada goose and mallard Sept. 22, the opening day of North Dakota’s regular season for ducks and geese.

September 23, 2012

Robert Sundberg elk

Robert Sundberg of Grygla, Minn., took this nice 5x5 bull elk Sept. 15 on the opening evening of Minnesota’s 2012 elk season. The bull was taken north of Grygla and had a gross green score of approximately 207 inches.

September 18, 2012

Kevin Frederickson walleye

Kevin Frederickson of Grafton, N.D., caught this 24-inch walleye Sept. 9 on Stump Lake. Frederickson said he estimates the fish weighed 5 pounds. “We were anchored in the trees and I was using a jig and minnow and straight lined over the end of the boat in 15 feet of water,” Frederickson writes, adding he and his buddy, Gene Fayette of Grafton, caught two limits of nice eating-sized walleyes. “We used jigs and a minnow and also slip bobbers,” he said. “The jigging was a bit more productive. Fun needless to say.”

September 17, 2012

Halle Vigstol bear

Halle Vigstol, Red Lake Falls, Minn., shot her first bear Sept. 4 while hunting on private land southeast of Red Lake Falls. According to her dad, Jeff, who submitted the photo, the bear weighed 320 pounds live-weight and 260 pounds field-dressed.

September 09, 2012

Espen Schneider pike

Espen Schneider, 6, of Grand Forks caught and released this 32-inch northern pike Sept. 9 on Union Lake near Erskine, Minn., while fishing with his dad, Toby Schneider.

September 09, 2012

Brad Vollrath muskie

Brad Vollrath of Grand Forks released this 51-inch muskie Sept. 4 on Lake of the Woods. The big fish had a 24-inch girth, which puts it at more than 36 pounds based on length-girth estimates.

September 04, 2012

Kiley Craft bass

Kiley Craft, 8, of Fargo, released this 5½-pound largemouth bass in Minnesota over the Labor Day weekend while fishing with her dad, David Craft.

September 04, 2012

Troy Snobeck walleye

Troy Snobeck released this 28-inch walleye on Lake of the Woods.

August 21, 2012

Kyle Snobeck walleye

Kyle Snobeck (right) caught this 28-inch walleye on Lake of the Woods. Holding the fish is Troy Snobeck.

August 21, 2012

Ron Norman walleye

Ron Norman of Grand Forks caught this 32-inch walleye on Lake of the Woods.

August 21, 2012