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| I lost the biggest fish of my life due to a broken leader, the beast was at minimum a fat 50 incher on LOTW it just bit through the Bucher wire leader like it was two pound test mono wintssed by my son and Doug Johnson [:((]
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| Don't worry John...my guess is that you're still a hero in the eyes of your son! What was Mr. Johnsons reaction to all this? What was the bait etc...these are questions you'll be seeing shortly by those who wish to fish that area...prepare now for the onslaught![;)] | |
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| John, misery loves company so I will give you some company. Last year on LOW, I probably had the biggest musky of my 27 years of going after them, she hit on topwater and did the most tearing up the water next to the boat, it was just like the movies, well up comes the topwater. I look at my buddy and ask how big he says you don't want to know, he has caught a couple of fish alittle over 50 inches, and says she was legal (54 inches), I realized I never set the hook. It gets worst I call the resort owner a couple of weeks later, and was informed that a walleye fisherman!!!!, took some time out and casted in the area where I lost that big fish, you guessed it 54 inches 40lbs. even on it's way to North or South Dakota's den wall. That may not of been the heaviest fish I would of caught but would be the longest. This year in the spring june and july I was 2 for eight over 40 inches. All you can do is keep going after them, I was lucky as you know and hooked up with 47 and 49 incher last week when I was up there at the same time. I got even more war stories but that is for another time. Thanks, Al[:((] | |
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| My boat is on a terrible streak this year. I have seen 5 fish over 50 get caught trolling to be lost within 10' of the boat. [:(]
I also lost another one casting when my ball bearing swivel broke on the hookset.
Thank god I have landed more then I have lost but it still sucks to see these beasts get off so close to the net.[:((] Might be better to lose them farther away before you see them that way you know they were big but just not how big. I have landed a couple of 53s and I swear one or two of those that were let go prematuraly were bigger. :-(
I am sure those lost fish keeps up coming back even more then the landed ones. [:sun:] | |
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| Sorry to hear about the lost of a BIG fish. It's one thing to have the fish shake the hook's free but when it's terminal tackle it really hurts.[:blackeye:] [:blackeye:] | |
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| Hey, no worry...you were just gonna let em go anyway!!
Ok, I'll shut up now and go sit down...[:((]
Really am sorry to hear of your losses. It sucks to get them that close to the boat and not get to get em in the net. I'm one of the lucky ones...only catch small skis for the most part...and they almost NEVER get away!!....[;)] | |
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| Well I've lost to in the upper 40's possibly pushing fifty due to head shakes. Had another over 50 miss my bait three times on the way back to the boat! Come to find out 2 weeks later a 51" was caught in that same area. Just can't keep the big girls on![:((] | |
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| I guess we need a how to make your own leaders course on site.
Sorry to hear about your loss...that one would hurt![:knockout:] | |
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| Making you own leaders might not have helped either...I had a fish about 40in long last year cut a single strand leader in half when it thrashed in the net. After the release I took a closer look at the leader, and the cut was so clean it looked like snips had been used. I still wonder how that fish did that...lucky for me it was already in the net.
Greg B. | |
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| Lost one at the MuskieFirst outing at Chautauqua that had me talking to myself for a bit. It was not due to equipment failures or a bad net job...she only had one hook in her and it just popped out at the boat just out of reach of the net. Not much you can do other than get out there and go after her again...although it was a good reason to have an extra Capt. Morgan and Coke back at camp that night! [:bigsmile:] | |
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| Well, my reaction was simular to Johns! S--T, that was a damn big fish! Don't know exactly what happened, but it looked like a leader failure, but who knows for sure. The fish took a Suick about 5 feet from the boat, and had the lure cross ways in it's mouth, and it's heading south. The leader snapped with what looked to be very little pressure on it. The fish swam about 15 feet and let go of the Suick which floated to the surface. The fish then sat and stared at the lure for a few seconds trying to figure out why the thing hasn't moved, and then paddled off. It was a big fish!
This was at a spot that we had seen a fish the day before (had her up twice) that looked to be 52"-53", but I really think this was a different fish. Just a real good big fish spot!
I can't tell you the number of big fish I've lost (lost a very big one the same day that John had this close encounter), and it's always sort of heart breaking. However, I've also won a quite a few of these encounters, and I always feel that what goes around comes around. John will get a big fish as he's a good fisherman, who put's in his time.
Doug Johnson | |
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| Well, my reaction was simular to Johns! S--T, that was a damn big fish! Don't know exactly what happened, but it looked like a leader failure, but who knows for sure. The fish took a Suick about 5 feet from the boat, and had the lure cross ways in it's mouth, and it's heading south. The leader snapped with what looked to be very little pressure on it. The fish swam about 15 feet and let go of the Suick which floated to the surface. The fish then sat and stared at the lure for a few seconds trying to figure out why the thing hasn't moved, and then paddled off. It was a big fish!
This was at a spot that we had seen a fish the day before (had her up twice) that looked to be 52"-53", but I really think this was a different fish. Just a real good big fish spot!
I can't tell you the number of big fish I've lost (lost a very big one the same day that John had this close encounter), and it's always sort of heart breaking. However, I've also won a quite a few of these encounters, and I always feel that what goes around comes around. John will get a big fish as he's a good fisherman, who put's in his time.
Doug Johnson | |
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| Hi Doug: My son and I had a great time with you on the water Thanks again for your insight to LOTW Muskies learned quite a bit, Hope that you get another shot at the beast you lost that same morning I have never seen a live fish that big, Guys this beast hit Dougs suick stuck it's head out of the water and just gave us a good headshake show and it was gone we did'nt even see the suick the mouth seemed like it could eat a football it's gills plates were flared they looked like Coffee Can lids, this was truley a huge fish I wish we could have at least gotten a good look at the full size of the beast
Again Doug Thanks a Million for a great time[:bigsmile:]
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| Sorry folks for the above post my keyboard froze up, Any way I have rcvd E-mails from a few of you asking for some detailed info sorry but out of respect to Doug I will not give out any exact locations as a matter of fact I doubt that I could LOTW is a HUGE lake and it is easy to get turned around and lost, all I can say is that in the week that we were there the majority of the fish seemed to be on the rocks with a few in the weeds, we had fish up on all typs of baits & colors suicks, bull dogs, hawg wobblers, bucktails.
If you really want to learn LOTW contact Doug for a day(s) trip it will be worth every penney[:bigsmile:]
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| That really sucks!!! I know how you feel, and it is always worse when equipment failure is the culprit. I lost a fish that was in the 40lb. range in late Oct. 6 years ago that took an 18" sucker and it actually opened a big 300lb(supposed) coast loc(Berkely) snap on a Herbie rig. I was not happy, and even more upset when I found out Berkely admitted to a bad run of snaps that year. As Doug said, you will crack another. I always look at it this way when I lose a monster(lost another in the 50's two weeks ago on a Reef Hawg), I've already put myself in position to catch a big one which is the biggest barrier, so we might just to lose a few to win some I guess, but they will come! | |
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| Last fall, on LOTW, I missed not one, but big fish. First one straightened out the rear eye on a 8" Reef Hawg! Never saw the fish, but it left four big teeth embedded in the bait. Man, this was a heavy fish.
Two days later, third pull on a Suick, I thought I hit a rock. Asked LandyR if he remembered rocks there. He said, "NO!". As I continued my retieve, a big fish rolled on the bait and missed! I saw only the side of it. Huge!! Largest fish I'd ever seen! I cast back to the fish, and on the second pull, she ate it. She immediately pulled drag, and ended up in front of the boat, with the line crossing the bow mount shaft. In the back of the boat, I didn't get a good hookset. Three shakes, and she was gone. I was sick.
These two spots are on my list to hit, along with a few others, each and every time I get to LOTW. I am convinced that both these fish were well over four feet.
I feel your pain, man.
Tight Lines,
Shep[:sun:] | |
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Who lost a Big One