Ollie’s Once in a Lifetime Catch: An Albino Sturgeon on the Rainy River

Six-year-old Oliver “Ollie” Hackenmueller loves to fish. After a recent trip to the Rainy River with his family, Ollie made a memory he’ll never forget. During the outing, he caught his very first sturgeon—and it wasn’t just any sturgeon. It was a massive 60-inch albino sturgeon, white in color with pink eyes, fins, and barbels (the whiskers near its mouth). His dad, Joe Hackenmueller, said Ollie is now completely hooked on sturgeon fishing.

Catch of a lifetime almost didn't happen for Ollie

The catch almost didn’t happen. “We usually go youngest to oldest when deciding who gets the rod when there’s a bite,” explained Joe. “But this time, we made an exception.”

Ollie’s older brother, Gunnar, who is nine, had won a new sturgeon rod and reel last year at the North American Sturgeon Championship in Birchdale, Minnesota. He won first place in the youth division with a 49 5/8-inch sturgeon. So, when the first bite hit on Gunnar’s new rod, their parents, Joe and Alysa, let him take the fish. That sturgeon ended up being 24 inches long—not a monster by sturgeon standards.

Little did Ollie know that waiting his turn would lead to something unforgettable. “He was pretty upset at first,” Joe said. “But as parents, we were more than redeemed by what happened next.”

When the next bite came, Joe set the hook and handed the rod to Ollie. “I like to have the person with the fish go to the front of the boat,” Joe said. “If I had let go of that rod before handing it off or even during the fight, it may have flown into the river.”

As Ollie fought the fish, they caught their first glimpse. “I knew it was a big one, but I didn’t realize it was white until we got it in the net,” Joe said. “Once we saw it, Ollie and I both cheered. He screamed, ‘Holy moly! Look at that thing!’” They took lots of photos before quickly releasing the rare fish back into the water.

fishing is a family affair

The Hackenmueller family lives in International Falls, Minnesota, right on the Rat Root River. “Ever since that day, Ollie’s been fishing every afternoon after school,” Joe said. “He mostly catches suckers, but once in a while he’ll hook into a pike or a walleye, depending on the season.”

Fishing is a big part of the Hackenmueller family’s life. “We fish for everything. In the spring, it’s usually walleyes and sturgeon on the Rainy River. We’re lucky that all four of us enjoy it,” said Joe.

Since Ollie’s big catch, the story has gotten a lot of attention. “A bunch of people have messaged me after seeing the picture on the Lake of the Woods Tourism Facebook page,” Joe said. “Even people around town have been talking about it.”

Ollie’s 60-inch sturgeon even beats his mom’s personal best of 58 inches. Joe’s largest is 65 inches, but Ollie now holds the family record for the most unique catch.

Ollie was using a standard sturgeon setup with nightcrawlers. “We had a no-roll sinker, a 5/0 octopus hook, and about a 12 to 18-inch leader,” Joe said. “We use medium-heavy rods with 80 to 100-pound test line. We don’t mess around with these big fish.”

Joe has been fishing for sturgeon for 15 years. “A 60-inch fish used to be a big deal,” he said. “Now, it’s the 70-inchers that are considered rare. That day, we only had two bites. But once Ollie’s fish hit, it was mayhem. We’ll be talking about that sturgeon for the rest of our lives.”

Sturgeon... A comeback Story for the ages

Sturgeon in the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods is a comeback story for the ages. Two things happened that spurred the population and size of the fish to both grow.

First, after years of being commercially netted for their valuable roe (sturgeon fish eggs otherwise known as caviar) in the early 1900’s, netting was stopped.

Second, when there were “teeth” added to the Clean Water Act, the Rainy River has cleaned up greatly. This has enabled more successful spawning of these prehistoric fish.

The MN DNR estimates from Morson, ON down through the NW Angle, Big Traverse Bay into the Rainy River, there are nearly 100,000 sturgeon over 40 inches long. Some believe this is a very conservative estimate.

Anglers are allowed to fish for sturgeon through May 15th and then again on July 1st. The season is closed May 16 – June 30.

Information on Sturgeon Fishing