It has been quite a while since I last caught a new fish species. My previous addition to the list was a Golden Redhorse on July 29. Fortunately, that drought ended today.

To improve my chances of catching a Lake Sturgeon (a new fish for me), I hired a guide named Jarrad. Jarrad told me he has been guiding anglers on the Mississippi River and surrounding waters for 37 years. His business is called Rutting Ridge Outfitters. He helped me catch the Lake Sturgeon I was targeting, was extremely friendly, and taught me a number of things along the way.

Since we were scheduled to meet about 10 miles north of Winona at 6:30 a.m. (an hour drive from Rochester), I got up at 4:00 a.m. to make sure I arrived on time. I pulled in at about 6:20 and found Jarrad already there and ready to launch his boat.

I had envisioned a long boat ride to our fishing destination, but it turned out to be almost within sight of the launch. We fished near the upper end of Mississippi River Pool 5A, just below U.S. Lock and Dam No. 5. Jarrad explained that sturgeon like this area because food is constantly being carried downstream from the pool above the dam.

Although I was excited about the prospect of catching a Lake Sturgeon, I also felt a little apprehensive. The forecast called for temperatures above 90°F, and I have experienced heat exhaustion—and possibly heatstroke—a couple of times in my life.

One incident occurred many years ago when my brother, his best friend, my best friend, and I went hiking in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. We lost our way and ran out of water before finally finding our way back to our vehicles. The nearest town, Moab, was about 60 miles away. By the time we got there, I was severely overheated. When I reached the hotel, I had dry heaves, but fortunately I recovered without lasting effects.

As it turned out, today was every bit as hot as predicted. There was virtually no wind and not a cloud in the sky. We managed by wearing hats, drinking plenty of water and Gatorade, and periodically soaking our shirts in the river and putting them back on. Even so, we decided to call it a day at about 11:30 a.m.

Our first Lake Sturgeon took only about 15 minutes to catch after we positioned ourselves near the dam. As the morning progressed, we landed three more Lake Sturgeon, two Flathead Catfish, and three Channel Catfish. Two of the sturgeon were estimated by Jarrad to weigh a little over 30 pounds. Both the Lake Sturgeon and Flathead Catfish were new species for me.

The Flathead Catfish and Channel Catfish were impressive fish as well, probably weighing between 10 and 20 pounds. In fact, with the exception of the first sturgeon, all of the fish we caught were likely larger than any fish I had ever caught previously. Before today, I don’t think I had ever landed a fish weighing more than about five pounds.

Incidentally, Jarrad had recently suffered a painful accident. About a week before our trip, while we were making arrangements, he sent me a photograph showing stitches in two fingers on his right hand. He had accidentally cut off the tips of those fingers with a table saw. When I asked what had happened, he replied, “Table saw. The saw won.”

He is still learning how to adapt to tying knots and baiting hooks with his injured hand but appears to be doing very well with that. I ended up helping put quite a few nightcrawlers on the hooks throughout the day to be helpful.

I learned a lot from Jarrad. The fishing rig itself was entirely new to me. We used very heavy braided line—he didn’t specify the pound test, but I would guess it was somewhere between 50 and 100 pounds—along with an 8-ounce pyramid sinker and a massive 8/0 circle hook threaded with two or three nightcrawlers.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, fish essentially hook themselves on circle hooks. Unlike traditional hooks, there is no dramatic hook set. The fish takes the bait, turns away, and the hook catches in the corner of its mouth.

Another first for me was using a baitcasting reel. Most of the casting was done by Jarrad because he knew exactly where he wanted the bait positioned. I suspect he may also have been a little concerned that I would create a spectacular backlash, since I had never used a baitcasting reel before.

However, he did teach me the basics, and I probably made five casts on my own. He explained that you keep your thumb on the spool during the cast and then lightly feather the line as it leaves the reel to prevent tangles. He also showed me how to properly hold large fish for photographs: one hand on the tail and the other supporting the fish near the pectoral fins.

Overall, it was a very satisfying day. I added two new species to my list, caught several of the largest fish of my life, and learned a number of new things about fishing.