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Posts: 8840
| So we talked about the highlights of your '07 season, what about the not-so-high??
Any heartbreakers you want to share? Any fish from '07 that will haunt you going into 2008?
No real heartbreakers for me this year; couple that just flat out missed, couple follows from some 50" + fish I wish I'd have caught, wiffed on a couple sucker hits...
What about you? |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Had a real Wisconsin Piggy blast a Weagle AND a Rumbler one evening in August, missed it clean both times and spent the rest of the year trying to get her to go again...no dice. Had a big girl hit a Wabull twice this fall, Slamr just expected me to lose that fish, so I did. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Steve, You should have expected Slamr to go swimmimg 
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | She broke my heart one weekend in Utah, depression set in for about 2 days.....then found a bar in Wyoming, later that week was tanglin' with some nice ones.....A 'lowlight' for a day or two, but it led to some great highlights, and more fishing time! |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | had a big fish in my arms and she flopped out ... but, she released really strong ... lol |
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Posts: 97
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan | was fishing a weagle right at dark off a main lake point and had one smash it right at boatside. It sounded like someone dropped a bathtub in the water. The rod was almost taken out of my hands; had the thing on for a couple seconds then the lure comes flying out of the water. Wasn't able to see the fish because of the darkness so my imagination is going crazy. |
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| lost one for sure 50"+ that came airborne like a tarpon...was ticked for about 15 minutes then shook it off....
the one from 07 I will remember was a follow on a mag dawg that made my hands quiver for at least 5 minutes...I've caught and seen some big fish but this was something else...looked like a small shark I think I told DanO in the boat...
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Had a 2 Minnetonka late fall 50+ fish throw a cowgirl and a pounder boatside. I will be seeing those fish in my dreams for over the course of the next 6 months! |
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Posts: 401
| I had one mid July 3 in the afternoon with no wind on Leech follow a XXX to the boat. It went around on one turn and darted off back under the dock she came from. I took the lure off and put it on my wifes stick and she threw back to the dock. Here she comes hot behind the lure. My wife does a really nice figure 8 and the fish went around 5 times. Just wish I would have showed her how to change speed and depth before this follow.
Keith |
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Posts: 2312
Location: SE, WI. | Nightmarish fish lost on the Woods!!! Started our trip out good as the first day brought my wife and I 4 musky up to 45 1/2". 2nd day of our trip, I started out with the hot bait from the day before, a Joel Wick creeper which I stuck 3 musky on the day before. Fished a big fish spot first thing in the mourn. About 9 am a big fish came up on my creeper and TOOK IT! Fought the fish for about 2 minutes. Fish looked about whipped when it took one last half heartily run. Then SLACK line, and bait floated up. Dejected, I thought the fish came off, BUT the spreader wire broke and fish swam off with a 1 inch piece of wire and a hook. Fish was on the surface several times and got a good look at her....52+. Still kicking myself [...] for neglecting fatigued wire. Should of picked up a fresh bait...Stupid Move. Trip ended landing 23 musky up to 48"...NO FIFTIES. Still feel the AGONY! |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | One real heartbreaker this year. We'd been on a really good pattern in June this year getting some really good fish. I picked up my clients for the day and told them we probably wouldn't see many fish following, but the ones we saw should be in the net. They were regular clients, so they were fine with the scenario.
Fifteen minutes into the day, the guy in the front of the boat says, I have a weed. I promptly told him there weren't any weeds around. Well, he got a bait bent in half back in the boat, chewed to shreds. 0 for 1. Next fish followed in my bait, I gave the rod to my client and told him to throw back at it. He hooks it and looses it a few seconds into the fight. That was a good 45" class fish. 10 mins later, the guy in the front of the boat looses another fish after it went airborne. Well, at this point, they're 0 for 3. That's not the bad part though.
Not 15 minutes later, the guy in the front of the boat say, HOLY *&$%!!!. I look down and see a good 53-54" wide bodied fish going into the 8. She went around twice, but my client swung his bait too close to the trolling motor. I quickly switched up the guy in the back of the boat and told him to rip real erratic. Well, 15' from the boat, she eats. We all got to watch as she opened her yap and enhaled the bait. Dave lays into her and I'm thinking Wooooo Hoooo. (Dave doesn't miss many fish, but today was a different story). She starts head shaking like crazy, then starts to dive. Stops and starts headshaking again, then gone. None of us said a word. We ended up just packing it up after that one. It was bad enough that they lost 4 fish, but that one made us forget about every other fish that day. I never had another shot at that one again this year. Next year however, loooook out.  |
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Posts: 336
Location: Lino Lakes, MN | I learned a valuable lesson on a big fish this year. Getting them to eat is only half the battle...keeping them pinned and putting them into the bag is an entirely different story. We were fishing a spot that we had seen some big fish on in past years. I ease up to the point and tell my boat partners that the fish we have seen have come from the brush pile in the middle of the small cup that was just around the corner from the point. I let those guys hit it first but she came out hot on my Double 10 the second it hit the water.
Everything else happened in slow-mo. I went into the 8, she ate high and away just like she was supposed to and then all he## broke loose. I remember seeing her swing around the trolling motor and there being nothing that I could do about it. She came back under the boat and was back in front of me again but I froze and had no clue what to do with her around the trolling motor. I decided to just keep pressure on her and hope that she stopped going insane so I could move her back around the motor. I got my bro up to the front of the boat to help but it was too late. What seemed like 10 minutes was probably 20 seconds tops. All I can remember from that fish was her sitting next to the boat, gills flared, shaking her head trying to get rid of the lure. I don't want to venture a guess as to how big she was but it was definitely the biggest that I have hooked.
Being the first really big fish that Ive lost, it took me a while to get over it. Ill never forget seeing Bob Pieske a few minutes after it. His words of advice/encouragement were: "You got everything out of her but the picture. You tricked her and got to feel her on the end of your line. Most people don't get to experience that, so instead of feeling bad about it, feel good that you got the opportunity." He was completely right but it was still hard to shake the feeling of defeat. I learned that Ive always gotta be thinking and on my toes when the moon and stars align to give me a shot at a good one. |
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Posts: 199
Location: Sandusky, OH | The only heartbreak was that I didn't get to fish but a couple times this year. Pulled a spinnerbait away from a fish on one trip, managed to pull a weagle out of another one when it dove. Next year will be better.
Eric |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | My year was full of small undersize fish, so when I had the chance to hook into a couple of 50"r's the hook set wasn't there. (sorry Sluggo) The first one came the day before the IMTT on Okauchee. My partner Sanks and I were going to look for fish on the Friday before the tournament agreeing to pull the bait from anything we saw. After seeing 4 nice fish we were ready to call it and go register when I tossed a double cowgirl over the shallow weeds on the North end of the lake. The cast was short and the speed was fast when this monster fish came hard behind the lure and my memory for pulling the bait away wasn't an option. Half into the turn the mouth was open, the bait was gone and a hard yank on the pole had the fish flying out of the water. I milisecond later the bait was out of the mouth and the fish was gone. It happened so fast that I had to sit down and kind of cope with the disappointment, it didn't work because I still feel the pain. We didn't score a fish in the IMTT the next day missing a $400.00 fish on a sucker late in the day.
The next week I was on Pewaukee on a afternoon that called for rain and wind but it didn't keep me from heading out to an area where the movement of a big girl had been reported. Cold and wet after fishing for hours I was about to call it a night when I noticed the fish deep and moving under the boat. Again the double cowgirl had done the job and the fish had followed now under the boat somewhere. Two, three, four 8's and nothing when out from the boat here she comes and broadsides the bait. I practically fell back off my front pedistall into the lake and missed a hard hook set allowing the fish to shake the lure and disappear into the depths. It was a long cold ride home again realizing that another trophy had to wait till next year.
It what keeps you going,
Bruce |
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Posts: 317
| I had the biggest fish I have ever seen eat at the boat on a small private lake in IL. I saw her come in fast after the giant killer and she ate going away from the boat on the 8. I set, and she took off strong. I went to turn her head and she was gone. I got a real good look at her as she went into the 8, she was wide a a tree trunk. I think it was the same fish that my friends and I saw in the area in the spring, and she was very heavy and friggin huge. |
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | The one fish I lost this summer I think about the most was during the Rhinelander musky league on Lake Tomahawk. Sled and I were 10 minutes into our open water run as I toss a mag dawg into a 40 foot deep turn that leads into 60 feet. After one rip my rod loads up and I try to set the hooks, but only get about half way through when there just to much resistance. I keep pressure on as line is screaming out and about 50 yards from the boat this monster of a fish tries to jump, but only gets half way out of the water. That's all she needed to toss the hooks. Afterwards we knew it was a big fish b/c of the weight and even more so b/c it was able to pull line even with 40 yards plus all ready out. Seeing the size of the fish from a distance is an image I'd rather change, but not forget. |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | How do fish come unglued on Cowgirls again??? Seems like they did it a lot in July.
HUH!!!
Edited by Hammskie 12/18/2007 9:49 AM
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Posts: 2024
| Don't have one from this year that I lost that keeps me up at night. Have one from 2003 that was a giant (50-52", not huge but still a fitty) I hooked during the MI Chapter Challunge on LOTW. Chased her for 10 days before she hit on a no-wind, blue bird sky, 90 degree day in the middle of the afternoon in a part of the bay that lacked cabbage or coontail and was chocked full of sandgrass. Didn't expect it, and paid for it later (I blame the 50 Cent album that was playing at the time...).
Had one last year come in on a Shallow Invader toward dusk on LOTW just 10 mins after releasing a 49". Normally I whisper "FISH FISH" when one follows in. This time it was "HOLY #$%* SHE'S BIGGER THAN THE LAST ONE!!!!" Around and around she went. I pushed the 8' rod out as far as I could on the turn and she STILL couldn't turn the corner. After a few 8s she disappeared. Put on a WTD topwater, SWISH SWISH KABOOOOM. Gone. Toss back to where she exploded from and SWISH-BOOOM. Gone again. All we saw was a her back and a tail the size of Flavor Flav's chain-clock... lol |
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Posts: 476
Location: WI | There always seems to be a fish that haunts me through the winter months...fortunately, this year I have two.
The first was while fishing with BN up in MN and as I was doing my figure eight a 50" class fish came from underneath the back of the boat and pounced on my Gerry Girl. Unfortunately, the fish pounced right OVER the bait and missed it completely. I think it only had one eye 
The second fish will be the one to haunt me for a long time as it was a 40" fish that was hooked on a spinner bait during the Madison Chain PMTT. The fish hit far out and as we got her next to the boat, she took a dive underneath the boat. As I was pulling her back up she went away from the boat and out came the hooks. Quite a humbling experience as we really needed that fish.
Curious to see what the fish will be next year....can't wait!
GotOne
Edited by GOTONE 12/18/2007 1:32 PM
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Posts: 158
| Fishing with my bro in the Tonka tourney, an hour in and here comes the beast tight behind the cowgirl. Got her on the second time around high and outside and I put the screws to her. Normally I would free-spool her and give her some line, but since it was tourney time I just tried to hold her at boatside until my bro netted the beast. She was easily as big as any we have gotten out there, almost certainly over fifty. She gets her head out of the water and throws the cowgirl back at me, I had her hooked for at least twenty seconds, just waiting for the net. I can handle losing a big fish, I'm actually pretty good at it, but to start the tourney that way AARRRGGHH! My brother and I still have not discussed what happened, I believe he didn't want to net her so green, thank God we got a couple more later in the season to get that monkey off our back. |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Tournament 50's are by far the worst!! |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | You know, I probably had a few get away, but I really don't remember them...must not have and any memorable ones escape this year! I do remember a big one early season (probably the second or third fish I saw in '07); it followed in and lost interest just before the boat. Kinda wish I would have caught that one I guess - hard to say it really 'got away' since it never got hooks. |
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| OH yah, thanks for reminding me DanO...I had a fish on in the Madison PMTT that most likely cost Lee and I, $17k after it shook the hooks...that one stung...I had put that one out of my memory but now Dan had to go and remind me of the PMTT ...gee thanks!
Never thought losing 1 fish could cost me so much dang money!
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | The father/son group from Montana that I guided lost a really nice fish one morning while rowtrolling with me. The fish hit an outside planer line and began to tail walk all over the place. About the fourth time the fish was airborn, the kid had the rod loaded up and the fish throws the bait. With all of the pressure from the rod the lure shot like 20 feet in the air. Not a monster fish, but a solid upper 40's probably. The 13 year old was a little down, but I played it off, pointing out at least he got to see it. Hour later we hook one on wire, kid takes the rod and he gets it to the boat, maybe a 40 incher on a good day. The lure had come out of the fish's mouth and was hooked across the back. She hadn't really fought to this point, and I knew that we weren't going to land this one. I told the kid to slowly bring her to the boat and I'd try to net her. The fish got about 10' out and went ballistic, tearing out the hooks. The kid ended up getting a small legal with me, but those 2 would've been cool to land.
As far as dissapointments while filming, there were more than a few. Most notably during October '06 during those mid-month blizzards, I was booked for three days during the worst of the weather. We did well, with a few 20lb class fish released rowtrolling. Lijewski was out fishing alone during that time, and put 2 slobs in the boat, one at 51 and one 52. Both were incredibly heavy, but just a couple of crappy stills and no footage. No big deal, but we work very hard to get big fish footage and these would've really been nice to see on the television.
JS |
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Posts: 158
| Pedro, you aren't kidding tournament 50's are the worst, I actually felt sick for a bit. It was a cross between Musky sickness and Muskyloss sickness, a dangerous combination!  |
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Posts: 3913
| Great tales above, wish I could add something exciting but no soap on big fish tales because I have none for '07. But.....
"Getting them to eat is only half the battle...keeping them pinned and putting them into the bag is an entirely different story."
Amen, my sisters and my brothers. Reelman knbows lots more than I, as do others on this site, but still I have to make a point. A high quality drag system combined with spooky sharp hooks means you'll boat more fish. Especially boatside strikes, where you can depend on your drag washers to manage a green fish; let her run out and then bring her back. Upgrade the drag system with Smoooothies washers.
Again, cool stories. |
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Posts: 2024
| Ranger - 12/20/2007 2:56 PM
A high quality drag system combined with spooky sharp hooks means you'll boat more fish. Especially boatside strikes, where you can depend on your drag washers to manage a green fish; let her run out and then bring her back.
QUOTE]
I beg to differ, as I know many others do too. Nonetheless, this is a thread about lost fish not a debate on drags vs. free spool so I will say nothing further.
Edited by esox50 12/20/2007 4:24 PM
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Posts: 4
| I had two nice fish come unpinned in big tournaments - Had a monster strike at and miss on the first turn at the Madison PMTT that possibly could have won it - would have been our 2nd fish of the tournament. Also had a big fish get off in the Eagle River PMTT. I'm thinking it might have been the HeliDawg Spinner shaft - had clients lose 4 fish on those this year. Had another BIG fish come undone on a quick - strike at the Pewaukee IMTT. My hooks are always razor sharp and I haven't lost fish that were on before - Can't talk about it anymore - IF is the biggest word in musky fishing. |
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| Had a big fish hit and miss my favorite Hughie glide bait, and then follow or miss about 10 other baits that day including bucktails, spinnerbaits, topwaters, and soft plastics!!! |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Had 3 50's on this year and all got off
The worst was the last one of the year where she went round and round at boat side before she ate. I put the screws to her (no pun intended) and I could see the hook pull out of her lip.
Honorable mention: a 48-49"er that totally ate my XX. The only problem is that I was trying to be "fish friendly" and put 2 single hooks on it. I watched the bait strip out the side of her mouth. The cool thing is that Mike moved her right after that on a topwater. Needless to say I took the singles off... |
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Posts: 1245
Location: Madtown, WI | Great September front coming in...
caught a 43 incher....
then the front really moved in...
raised an easy 50 plus incher on a topraider in 1.5 foot of water....casted back with double 10....flashed about third cast....forth cast it ate...two or three hard head shakes...and gone..
a small WI pothole...and would have been my biggest WI fish to date...at least I got a good couple looks at her.
Cory
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Posts: 1106
Location: Muskegon Michigan | I had my moment to get a bigger fish this year than my wife who kicked my butt in 2007. She was taking a nap in the bottom of the boat and I was casting my weagle along a large weed flat on the downwind side of a pocket of deep water. We had not been moving any fish that day and it was looking like we had a skunk in the boat. We were fishing a very small lake that was stocked back in 1998, 2001 and 2003. I had a fish strike that was not supposed to be there . This fish was over 48 inches long and very thick. It slammed the weagle and took me completly by surprise to the point where I didnt even set the hook. I was expecting maybe a 42 incher tops. Total mind loss ha ha ha . I was just standing there in shock as the water was falling from the explosion. She tossed the Weagle a good 5 feet with a great head shake. THE SPLASH MADE MY WIFE SIT UP. She though I fell in ha ha ha . I totally sucked on that one and kicked myself for days after it. It goes to show that when casting for Muskies we must always be on guard and ready to slam those hooks home. I will not take that lake for granted again. Kingfisher |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | During the Madison PMTT (of course) which I had to fish by my self,because my partner bailed on me....
I was fishing shallow docks with small baits and after about 3 hrs of this I finally got bit by a keeper fish......
It hit about 15 ft from the boat with the bait sidways in its mouth and booked straight toward me....I really tried to set the hooks but the fish would not turn,(STUPID FISH) ! 2-3 seconds later the fish HIT the trolling motor, and the bait went one way and the fish went the other way........!!!.... I didn't know weather to cry or cuss..
I Love tournament fishing, Its one of the most humbling things I've ever done...
Jerome |
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The one that got away..