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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | I was fishing with two of my best friends on Pewaukee Lake Sunday the 27th of November 2005. My sucker rod started to click and after a hard hook-set the fight was on. She kept tight to the bottom as I worked the rod to shorted up the distance between her and I. After a bunch of circles under the boat she started to give some, soon she came up swimming straight away from us but not going anywhere. I kept reeling in what she would give me and now she was 4 ft from the net swimming straight away. PERFECT, now to just pull in a little more so Dan could scoop her from the back of the boat head first. WRONG, she decided to show us just how strong she was. With a violent head shake she spit the sucker and rig out and just swam away.
Bummer, my thirty pounder 4 ft from the net and gone just that fast. What a way to end the year. Are they going to get it next year !!!
Any other storys for us muskie fishermen that are just settling into the nonmuskie months?
Let here some storys. |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | The coolest thing that happened this year was in the Okauchee IMTT. The Dude and I cruised across the lake as our initial spots weren't showing us anything. As we pull up to the spot, I notice a school of baitfish RIGHT on the break line. I told him to hang on a second, and I backed us up. I told him to put the 1st sucker down 10'. He gets it in the water, then puts out the second sucker. I went to put down the trolling motor, and as I turned he says, "dude, we got a fish going here". He brings it up slowly, and we see it's undersized, so he goes, lets get it in the net without hooking it. He brings it up a second time, and as it turns, I swing the net over the top of it, and it swims right in. As we start laughing, the other sucker starts screaming. This one gets pinned, and soon we have the second fish in the net. We needed to squeeze a few more inches out of the 2 of the, but it was still cool getting a double in a tournament none the less.
The very next spot we fish, we just get done working it, and I am reeling in the sucker slowly. I get it about 15' from the boat, and I turn to Matt and say "Dude, BIG bleeping fish!!!!!". He steps on the trolling motor to move us away, and the sucker takes off the other direction. The fish was in hot pursuit, and I pulled on the sucker to give the fish a TBone shot at it. She goes for it, and the sucker goes the other direction!!!!! That would have been my 1st 50, not to mention would have won us some moola, but it wasn't to be. That things head was gargantuan. I can still see it. Next year for sure.  |
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Posts: 880
Location: New Berlin,Wisconsin,53151 | You go to LOTW for Big fish, so why is it that when I got there I wasn't ready for it. For Ocotober the weather was in the upper 60's our guide Frank Walsh had us on fish in 3 to 4 different spots, follows but no takers. Two days later the weather turned nasty with winds out of the Northwest so strong we didn't leave the cabin that day. The next morning Sanks was up and in the boat early with 2 inches of snow and off we go. Nothing all day but a shattered confidence of why I drove 14 hours for this....The next morning our last chance, fishing a couple of baits that had seen fish during the week. Battling rocks and weeds every cast seemed to catch until the bait stopped and for sure a snag. Grab the lure retriever, no just pull hard, screw the bait, F@%k this lake...oh no in the weeds a head the size of a coffee can surfaces and spits the undertaker back at the boat. I never told Sanks how big the fish was, but in my mind there's a picture of the monster from the LOTW's.
Bruce |
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Posts: 723
| I lost my big fish for the year in early june, it was hot, calm, and sunny, pretty much non-fish going weather, I was raising a lot of small fish and a few 40's which was weird for what I thought to be otherwise crappy conditions.
at around noon I looked to the southwest and see a cloud line a ways off, thats it, thats why Im seeing so many fish. well I caught a couple 30 inchers and a pile of northerns and things started to heat up. just as the dark cloud line was getting past overhead I set up for another drift on this weedbed that was the only weeds in this whole bay. It seemed like every fish in the bay was relating to it.
The wind was now picking up to about 10-15 and there was about maybe a 1.5-2ft chop.
I made a long cast straight ahead not even aiming at anything, a couple pumps to get my suick down and wham! solid...... I set the hook hard... and then big head shakes.
She never really took off fast of anything, but was corkscrewing down in the weeds for a little bit, then she came up. I knew she was big, if not a little bigger than the 49 I boated a week before.
when she reached the surface, thats when she realized the bad news and took off like a rocket to the wind side of the boat. When she did this I grabbed the net and hung it over the side, now I was ready. After her run, she was about 15-20 ft from the boat on the surface. I started to pull back, she just kind of wallowed in the waves sideways, it didn't really seem like I was making headway due to the wind pushing my boat away from the fish.
I decided to real down and HORSE her a little. I had the net all ready next to me, and I pulled back. That was enough of that, as she thrashed sideways and my suick went sailing past me. I watched her take off into the weeds just as if you were to release a fish normally. only this wasn't the kind of release that I wanted. Premature.
By the time I regained composure, I had about 15 minutes to fish and then I had to leave for the drive home to be to work by 3pm.
I called my boss(who I fish with all the time) to see if I could come in late due to the fish turning on hard. He said "no, I really need you to come in, we have some hot jobs that have to go." So I get to work only to work for and hour or so and then stand around the rest of the night. I was PO'ed.
Not only did I lose a big fish, but knowing I could have just called in and stayed out while they were going ate at me for weeks..
I fished pretty hard this fall, usually our bread and butter time, it turned out to be more missed opportunities than fish in the boat. I did allright, but still wish I could have boated that fish. It would have been my biggest fish casting. unfortunately all my big fish have come trolling.
Next year! |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I've lost a few, but this one still haunts me some.
I was fishing with a friend and guide client in late November on Pelican at the mouth of Outlet Bay, fishing there because of HUGE NW winds, when the line hopped and I set hard. A big fish ate the creature alright, so I set her hard again, and began the battle.
It was snowing pretty hard and in the 20's, but I could see her a couple times as she cruised past the boat. WAY larger than any I'd ever boated on Pelican, making it at least a mid 40# class fish. I had her near whipped and coming to the boat when the line just went slack. I reeled in a jig with no creature, and looking closely cound NOT believe what I was seeing. A Mustad Round Bend 5/0 hook in a Repka swimmer jig, one of the best made, had broken at the bend. There was a weak spot in the metal, and the hook just plain broke off. I never saw that fish again, but see her sometimes in the old memory banks.
I think that big fish lost are part of the reason I fish so hard, it's a positive motivator. One knows those fish are there, and it only takes one hit...  |
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Posts: 724
Location: Southern W.Va. | Fishing with Papa Joe late one evening off the north side of Blueberry Island, throwing a Hoggler topwater and had a fish suck it down without making a ripple. I mean the bait was just gone! I set the hook and it felt like I'd hooked a sub. The fish had been laying up real shallow and ran toward deep water, through a small weedbed. Weeds were floating to the surface as the line cut them. Suddlenly the line went slack and the fish was gone. I reeled in my lure and found it in a ball of weeds. That was without a question the strongest fish I've ever hooked. I could not turn this fish, I had no control. It was like bear hunting with a switch, no contest!. I never saw this fish but it is the one that makes me wonder just how big this fish truely was. Maybe my chance at a 50"er? Surely the biggest I've ever hooked.
Mauser  |
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Posts: 327
| MIKE AND I GOT AWAY FOR A WEEKEND AND GOT TO STAY AT " THE HIDEOUT " ( THANKS STEVE !! ) WHILE WE WERE FISHING THE MATCH FISHING OVER THE SUMMER , OUR MATCH FISHING DAY WAS SUNDAY BUT WE HAD 3 DAYS TO FISH . WE WENT OUT SATURDAY AND FISHED A LAKE THAT STEVE RECOMMENDED . I RAISED A FISH BUT ONLY SAW A FLASH , SO WE CAME BACK ABOUT AN HOUR LATER TO SEE IF SHE WAS STILL INTERESTED . WHEN WE CAME BACK TO THE SPOT THERE WERE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SWIMMING AND FIRING UP THE JET-SKI'S , MIKE AND I LOOKED AT EACHOTHER WITH A DISTURBED LOOK ON OUR FACES SINCE WE FIGURED ALL THE RUCCUSS HAD DRIVEN THE FISH AWAY . WE STAYED OUT A LITTLE AND FISHED IT ANYWAY AND ABOUT 2 MINUTES INTO IT I SAW A BIG GIRL T-BONE MY BULLDAWG !! I GAVE HER THE OLD HEAVE-HO HOOKSET AND NOTHING .... I NEVER CHECKED MY DRAG SO THERE WAS NO HOOKSET !! I THUMBED THE REEL AND GRABBED THE LINE AROUND THE FORE-GRIP AND LET HER HAVE IT AGAIN .... THE BATTLE WAS ON FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND SHE SPIT OUT MY BAIT AND JUST DISSAPEARED !! 50" FISH ??? I'D SAY SO AND MIKE WOULD AGREE I'M SURE . I DIDN'T SMASH MY ROD ON THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND THROW A HUGE FIOT LIKE I WANTED TO , BUT I STILL REPLAY IT IN MY TINY LITTLE BRAIN EVRYDAY !! WE'LL BE BACK FOR A LITTLE PAY-BACK NEXT YEAR !!!
TO TOP THAT I MISSED THE BIGGEST BUCK I'VE SEEN IN A LONG LONG TIME THIS YEAR HUNTING IN S.E. MINNESOTA , I HOPE HE'S STILL AROUND NEXT YEAR AS WELL !! |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Not a musky but a Pike story here.....Was fishing at a lodge we stayed at when I was younger.....was throwin the big Pig Jerkbait, (the pike love it where we went, but otherwise its a crap lure). Went to a spot where my dad said he was consistently raising a nice sized Pike. So I tied on the big Pig chucked it out there. Let it land and sit for a few, then gave it a twitch or two to get it headed deeper, then paused and let it rise a bit like i normaly do....twitched it a few more times and then paused, while the pause i looked over to say something to my step bro when the water just EXPLODED! Looked over and was like "hmmm, must have just missed a fish" cause i didnt feel anything on the rod. So i started picking up the slack line.....i just kept reeling and reeling, i was like what the hell?? did it cut my line and take my bait or what?? Then I'm watching the line start to curl under the boat..."OH &%&$!!!!!!" now i burn the line till i start to feel it getting tigh and give it one hell of a hook set. I dont think this big girl even realized i did anything....I finally see its head coming right out from under the boat with my Pig in its mouth...it was head....fish, fish, fish, fish, fish, fish....tail.....I was like dad you said it was a low 40s fish this fish was mid 50s!!! Then with one little flick of its tail it took off, snapped my line somehow and spit my bait. I collapsed into the bottom of the boat. UGGHHH! Biggest pike i have ever seen.
Mike Bolinski |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | mine happened so fast it doesn't take long to tell the story. last day at LOTW for me on a trip about 3 years ago and we're fishing 50" island ... a series of three islands and the ugliest one (above water) is where the dominant fish lives .... we had seen her in the saddle earlier that day and the day before so we knew she went all of 53 ... well i got the evening toss at her .... hit the spot on the spot we have learned over the years with mr. jingles my hog wobbler and wham ... she grabbed the bait and basically kicked my sorry butt right off the bat. i felt empty and really challenged my abilities in my own mind .... then the next day she kicked my partners a$$ too ... sad, but it made me feel a little better when i heard this (he always stayed an extra week after i went back home) of course i never told him that. |
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Posts: 4266
| Here's a little piece that I wrote about "The One That Got Away", and what went through my mind during the time after.
Edited by Beaver 12/4/2005 8:10 AM
Attachments
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 Who We Are- The Captain Ahab Factor.doc (26KB - 113 downloads)
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Posts: 2378
| SHHHH....I got a bite.
Anybody that has heard that one knows...best story in the history of best stories |
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Posts: 2024
| HAHAHA!!!! yes, that's is the best "lost fish" story in the world... |
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