Minnesota boy in pajamas fishing with family feels something on his line. What he pulls up sets a new state record: ‘Like a prehistoric dinosaur’

A Minnesota boy fishing in his pajamas with his family expected a quiet night by the water. Instead, 7-year-old Isaac Richert hooked a fish that earned him a place in the state record books. Isaac was camping with his father, Phil Richert, and his brother, Teddy, along the Minnesota River in Scott County on June 6, 2026, when the unexpected catch happened. According to Wired2Fish, the family had been targeting catfish when Isaac’s line suddenly produced a much different surprise.

According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, the young angler was preparing to turn in for the night when he felt something pull on his line. Phil told the Star Tribune that Isaac reeled in the fish while he helped land it with a net. The fish turned out to be a shortnose gar, a native Minnesota species with a long, narrow body and tooth-filled snout that often gives the fish a prehistoric appearance.

The catch measured 30.5 inches, making it the first shortnose gar to meet the minimum length requirement for a Minnesota catch-and-release state record. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources added the category in 2024.

Isaac said he’s ready to get back out there

In an interview with Wired2Fish, Phil said that after the catch, the family sent photos to the state and, “sure enough, he caught the official state record. The boys were just ecstatic,” Phil added, “really pumped up about catching a fish that’s like a prehistoric dinosaur, and it’s a Minnesota record.” The 7-year-old reportedly told the Minnesota DNR he already had another goal after landing the record fish: “I want to try to catch a bigger one!”

According to Phil, the catch sparked a sibling rivalry. “Teddy is all about trying to catch a state record fish now, too,” Phil told Wired2Fish. “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.”

The Minnesota DNR’s State Record Fish Program recognizes qualifying catches in multiple categories, including catch-and-release records. Anglers must submit documentation, including photos or video showing the fish’s identifying features and measurements, for a record application.

Gar have existed for more than 100 million years, according to Valley News Live, which reported on Isaac’s record catch. Shortnose gar are built to survive in challenging environments and can tolerate warm, low-oxygen water because of adaptations that allow them to gulp air at the surface.

The species also represents a newer area of focus for Minnesota’s record program. When the DNR expanded its catch-and-release categories in 2024, it allowed anglers to pursue records for additional species beyond the limited number previously recognized.