Murray lands a big one
Yvonne Murray poses with the big sturgeon she caught while fishing Rainy River. Her son Billy holds the 68-inch long fish.
Steve Gust
Tim and Yvonne Murray have been fishing together as long as they’ve been married
— more than 33 years.
In that time, the East Grand Forks couple has had their share of fishing stories. But none compare to the experience they had last month on the mouth of the Rainy River.
That’s when Yvonne, a waitress at Seasons Family Restaurant, reeled in one of the biggest sturgeons ever caught in Minnesota.
The fish measured 68 inches long and had a girth of 32 inches. It was estimated to weigh nearly 105-lbs.
Yvonne couldn’t believe the size of the sturgeon when she first caught a glimpse of it.
“I thought ‘O’my God.’ I have never seen anything that big. I couldn’t even breath.”
Because the fishing season for sturgeons wasn’t open yet, the Murrays had to catch and release the fish.
The fight
The husband and wife team, along with their 28-year old son Billy, didn’t even get a bite on their first day fishing. The final day brought better luck as Billy landed a 42-lb. sturgeon. The three-some was about to call it a weekend on
the lake when Yvonne felt a bite on her line.
When she set the hook, the battle began. The fight exhausted Yvonne.
“I was scared I would lose it,” Yvonne admitted. “I asked Tim and Billy to take over, but they said ‘No’ you are going to catch it.”
After 45 minutes, the sturgeon was ready to be brought into the boat. It took the efforts of both Tim and Billy to get it out of the water.
“I didn’t realize how big of a fish it was until it got up to the boat,” Tim said. “It was like trying to grab a basketball.”
The only camera on board was an out-dated throw away model. Thankfully for the
Murrays, the pictures did turn out.
“I never dreamed we would get a fish that big,” Tim said.
Fishing partners forever
Tim and Yvonne are more than just life-long partners — they are life-long fishing partners.
“He says I’m his best fishing partner; that’s because I always go when he does,” Yvonne said. “If I go fishing with the guys, I always have to do everything they do.”
Tim admits he is proud of his wife for catching ‘the big one.’ “I was very proud of her,” Tim admitted. “She did an excellent job.”
Yvonne gives Tim equally as much credit.
“What do you expect? I have an excellent teacher,” she said.
The couple plan on returning to Rainy River for another sturgeon outing next year.
The Big One
What: Sturgeon
Where: Rainy River
Who: Yvonne Murray
Size: 68 inches long, girth of 32 inches
Weight: Estimated at 105-lbs.