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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | <p>Due to my continued sulking over the loss that occured in Canada two weeks ago, my therapist tells me I need to get things off my chest. I'm finally coming to grips with it, and willing to cry to the rest. Long story short, while staying on LOTW(my first time on this water), I lost a fish on our second day of the trip that I will probably never live down. It followed from shore from between two boat sized cabbage patches, ate my bucktail 10 yards into the cast(ate only the back hook as I sped the lure), wallowed(as Dick Pearson described the maneuver back at the dock as I explained it to him and he cosoled us), made a jump attempt, ran long twice, head shook to the boat(now the hook was closer to the tip of the top snout), made another run showing us its huge body size, came back towards the boat, where I told my brother "we need to take her early" as she was not hooked well. 6 feet from the boat i put a bit of pressure on her to turn her towards the net as the hook popped free. He scooped about 30" of the tail end of the fish and she tore off, soaking both of us, and almost tearing the net free from my brothers grip. 54-55".......enough said.</p><p>We ended up having a good week with 19 muskies caught for 6 people musky fishing, up to 51" with 2 others over 45". My brother lost a 48" on the first day, and my wife lost a 50 on the last day. Even with the decent results(we had one to three muskies in my boat each of the 5.5 days we fished for them), the losses are what each of us seem to remember. Losing big fish seem to hurt more than catching a nice one feels good for some reason, but it sure does not seem to go away for the three of us. I am glad I had the chance to dance with the beast(as are my brother and wife), but also part of me wishes none of it would have happened. Does anyone else seem to have trouble getting over the loss of really big ones? </p><p>That said, I'll be right back next year looking for her again!! My brother, who was not a musky fisherman before the trip, is already making plans as well for next year. I think it was great to convert another innocent soul to this sport, as I think we did with him. </p>
Edited by Reef Hawg 8/10/2004 1:54 PM
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| It is called checking into 'Heartbreak Hotel' The true horror of this bottomless black pit is that you can never check out. The only consolation is you have a lot of company. |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Because if you listen to every guy in every bar in Northern Wis who loses a fish...it was a new Record! |
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Posts: 259
Location: Alexandria, MN | I look at any hook up as a success -- You had to do everything right to get those
big girls to eat. You were going to release her any way, so it happened earlier than
you expected, that's Muskie Fishing!
One thing that has helped me touch more fish, before the release is keeping the
rod down, tip in or under the water during the fight. Don't let them jump!
Not always the answer, but it seems to help.
Congrats on a greta trip!
Stevev |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I have caught a few nice fish, and can tell you I remember the lost ones way more clearly. As I told the guys on the Goon, I have 8 2004 trip reasons to get my fanny back up there.  |
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Posts: 91
Location: Wausau | Jason
The one nice thing about it is you have an actual fish to dream about, the rest of us have to make one up that is that big. Congrats on a great trip and a great battle with the beast, next year the victory will be yours and you will smile that much bigger in the pictures. |
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Posts: 149
| It's because by catching we are doing what is expected of us. Losing a fish implies we did something wrong or should have done something different.
The haunting memories are one of the reasons I love this sport. The surreal settings, transcendent conversations, the emotional highs & lows. W/o the missed fish, it would be something less.
Or it could be a marketing conspiracy just to get you to come back again... |
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Posts: 333
Location: menasha wi 54952 | Jason,
It has something to do with trying to achieve your goals. Your goals as a muskie fisherman with the amount of time and fish you encounter in a season are very high. Along with that is your desire to achieve those goals. Your hurt is so great due to the fact that one of your goals was so close you could smell it. The catches give you a warm fuzzy feeling.........the losses create the desire!!! Thats why they call it fishing and not catching!!! You will get another chance...........
MR |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Also, If you were able to catch every fish you would probably quit. What fun would it be? It IS "fishing" not "Catching".
That does not answer your question on why you remember however. Maybe it has to do with motivation, keeping you going. I'll bet the poor next fish that took a bite of your hardware got a sore neck from a massive hookset.
We call those ones that you have on for a while then lose " a long distance release". And we try to console ourselves with the fact that it is definatly better for the fish. Zero slime lost, no suckin' air, no fins to get beat up, etc.
Go back and get her! |
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| Man , i'm going send all you guys a box of kleenex tissues....lost fish usually creates some sort of madness and not sadness with me.
Alan
can i play with madness? |
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Posts: 2361
| hmmm.......
Heartbreak Hump
Hay Creek Narrows
Popple Island
The Five Stumps
The Big Rock
The Flagpole
Road Warrior
Claylick I
Claylick II
The Musky Tree
A$$holes
Kindegarten
The Mouth of Whitefish Creek
Southwest on Pete's
Northwest on Pete's
Hells Half Acre
Halfbar
Pay Lake #2
they lay upon your memory like a rotting sore, and the hurt, it is always with you
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Posts: 91
| i smell what your steppin in! i lost myfirst "big" fish on sat. she was 45+, a friend told me where she was ,i went, i hooked, i lost! i was so bummed i actually called dave and had to be talked into staying on the water. good thing because i raised 2 more right away,. that helped-A LITTLE! |
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| I only stew over the lost big gals, and I am grateful for every musky I land! 
Steve |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | me, too, very Grateful. "I can't remember the name of every girl who broke my heart, but I can remember every fish that broke my line!" m |
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Why do losses hurt more than catches feel good?