Spent a great early spring Tennessee day doing a little Muskie fishing and what a nice day it turned out to be. I started off with one small Muskie that got free just before we could get a net under him. A few minutes later I hear oooh my God! I turned to see my friend had brought a hungry and veeery large Muskie to the boat following his lure. He stopped a few feet from us and watched the lure. Whenever he twitched it the Muskie would mock charge it. This went on a few times until the Muskie saw us and headed for the depths. Just a few feet down he hooked up and landed a smaller one, his first Muskie ever.
After some lunch we took the Jet boat to another location in hopes of finding some more of these toothy Monsters AKA Esox Masquinongy, it didn’t take long! First few casts I set into what I hoped would be my giant. I set the hook on this fish with a swing that would have made Bill Dance cringe
but this fish didn’t budge one bit. I would have sworn my acid wrapped custom rod was just going to explode into tiny bits and fall into the lake as it bent in ways I’ve never seen one bend before. I knew this one was a good un!
After a few rounds of tug of war I brought it along side the boat and David slid the net under him. Just as he raised this beast over the gunnels the net snapped like a twig and the Muskie hit the floor. He chewed a hole in the net and shot out the back violently shaking and thrashing about. Imagine sharing the boat with an alligator. We finally got him subdued him with the Boga’s (20 pounds about 42 to 43"), took some pics, and watched with childlike grins as he swam away.
It was as good a fight as any 20 pound freshwater fish has ever given me and I was a little shaken up after it was over.
This is the third net I've destroyed in just a few months. Anyone know where I can get a net that'll last???
Here's a few photos. Enjoy!
No not on a fly... but I tried!
http://www.trophyfishingtn.com/coppermine/displayimage.php?album=25&pid=738&slideshow=5000
