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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Well, I have always been fortunate enough to say this has never hapened to me till now, but it finnally did last night. 
After fishing a shoreline I rarely fish riddled with blowdown trees, my wife and I decided to turn around and work the same structure back to the north as prime time and a storm was approaching to quickly to move to our next spot. I was tossing my favorite Musky lure(we all have one), and just commented to my wife how irreplaceable this lure is to me.. This G-Log has had the sweetest action of any I have gotten from my friend Grant. the lure is a local takeoff from the Weagle but a shorter and ever so slightly lighter model. It swooshes like no other, and has been the only thing consistant for bigger fish in this year of onconsistancy..
Anyhow, working down the shoreline I make a long cast parrallel to the ends of these trees coming into the water. The water explodes 15 yards from the boat, with me/fish missing connection. 15' from the boat the fish smokes the lure in a fury. I set hooks, and the big fish cartwheels eye level with me making both my wife and I giggle. Now, instead of making a run in the opposite direction, the fish(5' from me) ran right at me went right next to the boat where I quickly noticed a log/s going under water from shore. I tried to turn the fish but could not, as it was the big girls initial power run and it was a good one. I put enough pressure on the Fig that I wondered about breakage trying to keep the thing out of the tree. Too late, the line bcame tight and stuck...???... I couldn't beleive it. I've had several fish run around stumps and under logs over the years but all I had to do was make my way over and get it out from around the object...DOOGGHH. I couldn't budge the line. My wife put the net down as we both thought the fish was gone. Soon I saw a boil and soon my wife screamed "Oh MY Gosh its' right here..". The fish layed on its' side next to the boat, still hooked, lure outside of its mouth stuck to its face with about 4' of slack line or so it appeared, but still wrapped around the tree. I went for it with the net, but as soon as I made my move it went on a crazy 'lunge and actually wiggle the big dead pine as it came to the end and SNAPPO, the line separated. I am not so angry about losing the big fish, as I am the lure, and the fact the fish still has it. I hope that with it on the outside, that the fish can eat and maybe get it caught on something and shake it loose.
I am most upset that I lost my favorite lure, and the fact that we have tried to duplicate this particular one with less than perfect results. I am upset that the line separated for sure. I was surprised it held as long as it did, but should 80;b line snap like that? I have never been in the situation, but now feel like it would have happened with even heavier line quite possible. Could one equate it to dropping a 30lb weight from 5' off the side of a roof to a slack line tied to something? This bothers me, as I have never had Tuff Line XP break before on anything, but a snag that I had no other choice with....
Anyhow, needed to vent on something other than a bottle of Point Beer....
Jason Schillinger
Edited by Reef Hawg 7/2/2006 5:59 PM
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | wow jason sorry to hear about u loosing that fish. all we can do is hope they can get the hooks out and survive to fight another day.....good story though thanx man....bill | |
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| Sorry Jason, that lure you will need to recreate somehow, someway. So how big was this fish?
130 pound test Cortland Bronzeback, check it out. I have never had 80 pound test Cortland Spectron or Power Pro break, ever
Search the area for her, she could easily get caught on something | |
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Posts: 194
| I agree with Muskyboy. It might be possible to find her stuck to something where you could reach and unhook her. Or, you could do some swimming if she was too deep to reach from the boat. Not only would you save the fish by doing this, you might get your lure back. Double bonus in my book. Save the fish, get your lure back, sweeeeeeet. I'd go swimming for a lure like that, if I owned one. I've certainly gotton me arse wet over a lesser lure and fish. At the very least it shouldn't take much to FISH the same area and look.
On a similar note, I had a 37" fish manage to get caught up in my motor recently, even though the motor was in the air. The line got stuck in the groove at the prop. I was using 80# Cortland Spectron, and after I got the line out we landed the fish. I use only Cortland products now. It's quiet AND strong. I've never used Tuff-line, and I can't say the Cortland would've held either. I can't argue with a line that doesn't cut on my prop, though, can I? Even if the fish was only 37". | |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Sux bro, i feel your pain.
I think that Tuff line, pound for pound, is the strongest braid out there, and I've tried just about everything. A slack line snap like you had, would do any line in. Treat it like a break up, get drunk, and go find another girl to play with.
Rob
Edited by muskynightmare 7/2/2006 7:51 PM
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Posts: 20269
Location: oswego, il | Jason, possibly what happened here is a nick or something in the line from the fish running around the log or maybe even not. With that tight line as you described it was probably that way on the fishes side too and when that fish went nuts it snapped the line similar to a dig-in backlash. I had a guide tell me this type of line breakage happened to him once, sounds like it could have happened to you too.
Like you said, the lure was outside the fishes mouth so perhaps the lure can get free and if not the fish may still be able to eat and be caught again. | |
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| Last Wednesday as I made a cast, SNAP!, the line broke and my new bucktail went sailing. I didn't have a backlash, just a small loop of loose line on the spool. I was using Stren Super Braid in 100lb test, and will be switching back to Power Pro. I never have had something like this happen with Power Pro, and it's happened twice now with Stren. Power Pro is actually made by the same company that makes Tuff Line, although I have no idea if either is any stronger than the other. Maybe you'll find your lure floating in the lake next time out. I've found a few Topwater baits, including one this year. It wasn't a Weagle though. | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Nightmare, Thanks. I will take your advice...
Went out to check on her last night, but she wasn't around, or seen though that water is so dark that she'd have to be near the surface to see.
I haven't had trouble with the Tuff Plus in 4 years of use, as I had with the Power Pro 65 and 80, not that I had alot of trouble with that either(other than the coating coming off and getting in my reel parts). I had just retieds the night before and not made more than 50 casts with that rig.
Tried about 5 Weagles last night in hopes to find one that worked similar to my good G Log. I did find one close, and I'll try to get it repainted.
Someone asked how big the fish was. I got a really good look at her as she lay near the boat, and would say in the 4' range but no bigger in my estimation. Some friends had been seeing a really really big one in that area last week, but I don't believe that was her. I am glad to have a new spot to fish, but wish it was a happier place to be... | |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Reef Hawg: I feel your pain In the sport of Musky fishing S**T happens, I was fishing with Doug Johnson when a monster came up and ate my Suick never really felt the fish as soon as it hit the line went limp and the fish was gone the STEEL LEADER was cut in half the cut was so clean it looked like it was cut with a pair of snips, fortunatly I got the Suick back as it floated up a few minuets later, so you see S**T HAPPENS
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| Reef Hawg - 7/2/2006 5:52 PM
I am most upset that I lost my favorite lure, and the fact that we have tried to duplicate this particular one with less than perfect results. I am upset that the line separated for sure. I was surprised it held as long as it did, but should 80;b line snap like that? I have never been in the situation, but now feel like it would have happened with even heavier line quite possible. Could one equate it to dropping a 30lb weight from 5' off the side of a roof to a slack line tied to something? This bothers me, as I have never had Tuff Line XP break before on anything, but a snag that I had no other choice with....
Jason Schillinger
Jason,
Your description of why the line separated is good. A slack line tied to something can experience much more than 80 lbs of force when an objct of 30 lbs or so suddenly pulls it tight because when the 30 lb object hits the end of the slack, it experiences a very rapid deceleration, and this produces tremendous forces in the line, expecially in the braided lines which do not stretch.
A 32.2 lb fish with a speed of 10 feet/sec (6.8 mi/hr) will produce a force of 50 lbs on a line if there is 1 foot of stretch/give in the system. However, if there is only 3" of stretch/give in the system, the force on the line will be 200 lbs. The amount of stretch in a system when a fish takes up slack depends on the line, the leader, and the amount of give in the object the line is attached to at the other end. A rod has more give than a log.
The speed a fish can reach before hitting the end of the slack is very important. If the speed is doubled to 20 feet/sec (13.2 mi/hr) then the force produced quadruples to 200 lbs with 1 foot of stretch in the system.
A stretchy device called a snubber can be inserted between the leader and line that provides greater stretch to the system and significantly reduces the maximum force on the line when big fish accelerates or decelerates very quickly. Snubbers are often used in trolling with Dipsy divers. It might not be worthwhile to use snubbers for situations that are so rarely encountered, although a good snubber probably would have made a difference for you in this case.
Michael Courtney | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Michael, some very sound science behind your explanation. It helps keep confidence in my tackle if anything. Grant is making a couple more G-Logs as we speak, so I have them for my Mille Lacs trip this weekend. | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Well, an update is in order here. I received a phone call the other night while on my way home from an up north Muksy trip with the wife. A friend on the other end told me that he had bumped into my fish one morning. I said "WHATTTT???". He said he saw the thing cruising along shore and noticed something on its' face. He casted to it but it spooked and would not hit. Soon it appeared along the shoreline rip rap again, and he hooked the split ring on the lure in the fish, and brought the whole works in. He said the fish was fine other than having an 8" lure on its face for two weeks, and maybe not have been eating. It was hanging out along a shoreline riddled with springs up river from where I lost it. He took the lure out, and quickly released the fish. AWESOME!!! I thought the story was over with. It was not. He went fishing the next night and was working a shoreline about a half mile from where he was the morning before and hooked a big fish on his bucktail. he said it was a real drag screamer. When they netted the fish, he noticed that it was the same one(scars on its face from my lure, and somewhat 'buggy' eye). He said it was 47" and weighed 31 lbs. I couldn't beleive it. At any rate, I got my lure back from him the night before last, and dropped off the replacement G Log that Grant made up for me. He in turn caught a nice musky on the new one already last night, so is quite happy with the trade, as am I for getting my favorite bait back, even though it is quite beat up. | |
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Posts: 476
Location: WI | Great story!!! I'm sure you are glad that the fish is swimmin' safely again and "the" lure made its way back home too!!!
GotOne | |
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| Hi Jason, this is Kugs at Rough Rock Lodge, drop Sandy and I an email when you get a chance, how's Monica and the family? We have had a pair of 55"ers C/R ed this season and a 48" pike!! Sandy had a blow up on a topwater last night, it was the dorsal fin,fish, fish, fish and finally the tail. We have her address, We'll let you know. | |
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Posts: 273
| Jason I met you one time and have heard of many of success stories. This story blows me away! All I want to know is what church you go to, because I am signing up.
the muskie gods are not happy with me this year so I need all the help I can get. 
Jeff Hopkins | |
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Posts: 156
Location: Oconomowoc, WI | Great Story! | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Jeff, hehehe actually it was Brian that was the lucky one. Just glad the fish is ok, and my bait is in the box headed on my weeks vacation tommorrow.
John, I sure wish I was visiting you guys this year. I would like to come chase a certain fish. I might still try to work something out if possible. I will drop you an email upon our return from vacation. How is the water levels there? Current in narrows? That is one big pike!! Hope Sandy sticks that pig!! Please give her Monica and my best. Monica and I are happy parents now, and hope to bring Emma along up there on a trip within a couple years. | |
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Posts: 201
Location: Stevens Point | Awesome story, good to here that fish survived! | |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Just got back from MN and was catching up on everyone's action. Jason, that is one of tyhe coolest stories I've heard. Very exciting to see how people working together can find the needle in the haystack. Congratulations to both of you! | |
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It finnally happened....