In October 2024, 8-year-old Axel Angelow of Fairbault, Minnesota, made state history by catching a record-breaking black crappie while fishing with his dad, Ryan Angelow, on Cedar Lake. The impressive fish measured 18 inches and weighed 3 pounds, 13 ounces, surpassing the previous Minnesota state record by over 4 ounces. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officially recognized the achievement in a Facebook post on December 27.
A Spur-of-the-Moment Fishing Trip
Ryan Angelow, a service technician at Owatonna Motor Company, had just finished work when he asked his three kids if they wanted to go fishing. Axel was the only one who said yes.
“In the pictures, I’m still in my work uniform,” Ryan shared with Hometown Source reporters.
Father and son headed to their favorite spot on Cedar Lake in Rice County, not expecting much from the outing. Their luck changed when Axel hooked a massive crappie.
“We thought it was a big northern or something like that,” Ryan said. “But then it ended up being this big crappie. That’s when we started thinking, that’s pretty big. I knew the record had been broken in May, so we measured it and weighed it, and it was the record.”
Official Certification
After realizing the fish’s significance, Ryan used his personal scale to confirm its size before making several calls to locate a certified scale. The following morning, they officially weighed the fish at the Minnesota DNR’s Waterville Area Fisheries Office, beginning the process of filing the necessary paperwork for the record.
“This was a joint effort between us,” Ryan said. “But since he’s the one that actually reeled it in, he’s the record holder.”
Breaking Records on Cedar Lake
Axel’s catch dethroned the previous state record set by Nolan Sprengeler in May 2024. Remarkably, Sprengeler had broken the Minnesota black crappie record twice that year, with his most recent fish weighing 3 pounds, 9 ounces—also caught from Cedar Lake. Axel’s new record of 3 pounds, 13 ounces now stands as the benchmark.
A Sibling Rivalry
Back home, Axel’s siblings celebrated his success, though his older brother—an avid fisherman—couldn’t help feeling a little envious.
“He’s very happy and proud,” Ryan said. “But he probably wishes the roles were reversed.”
Axel’s remarkable achievement highlights the thrill and unpredictability of fishing, proving that sometimes saying “yes” to a simple outing can lead to a record-breaking adventure.
Image/Source: OL
