Minnesota retiree lands 2.21-pound state-record bluegill on new rod

A retirement gift turned into the catch of a lifetime for Minnesota angler Dale Hoffman. On the very first fishing trip with his new spinning rod, Hoffman nearly watched it disappear into the water after a powerful fish yanked it from the boat. Instead, he managed to grab the rod in mid-air, reel in the fish and discover he had landed a new Minnesota state-record bluegill weighing 2.21 pounds. According to an exclusive report by Wired2Fish, the remarkable catch came during an early July outing on Big Stone Lake, a fishery that has recently gained national attention for producing unusually large bluegills.A slow start turned into a record-breaking momentHoffman, 59, had recently retired after years of working in construction near Ramsey, Minnesota. With more free time on his hands, he decided to celebrate retirement by purchasing a premium St.