The Float:
I drifted back to the campsite, got the fire going and the coffee started. The skillet potatoes and sausage got a little burned, but we didn't care....we were happy to feed our bellies with fishing fuel. We arranged for our shuttle, loaded the boat and locked down our gear. As we finished breakfast, two anglers in a small jon boat drift by and I can hear the commotion as they're shouting about the musky that just followed in their plug right in front of our campsite...It's going to be a great day!
We got launched and the day began.
The first hour was a bit slow. Letting the floatillas of kayakers pass by, we took our time to finish the evening as the last boat in line. It felt kinda like the Caney, but the river was so wide that no one ever really got in the way.
Out of a deep hole, looking off in the distance, Crystal starts yelling:
"Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! A F'n Musky!!!!!! A big boy had followed her bucktail right up to the boat. The clear water showed off his stripes and colors beautifully. He quietly drifted back down into the deep pool out of site. Several more casts later, no dice, but hearing her uncontrolled panicked profanity at that musky follow just warmed my heart
.
We floated on:
A rapid that almost swamped us:
A victory beer to calm our nerves:
Watching the carnage as the canoers kept getting stuck:
It felt kind of wrong passing by shoal after shoal of perfect smallie water to fish the long, deep pools. But we could already sense evening slippin in, and did not want to get stuck after dark on a 6 mile rocky float. We eased into a tempting deep stretch, and right off the bat, I spotted a fat musky glued to the bottom in 20 foot of water...Game time!!!!!!!
30 yards of frantic casting of my Giant Tinsel Bucktail....It happened!!!!!!I spotted the giant gator getting closer and closer as he charged the bait. His large white jaws gaping wide open he ripped a hole in the water. It was like an out of body experience where everything happens in slow motion. I saw the aggressive stalk unfold atleast 15 yards before he scarfed the bait and the subsurface head slashes began.
"AAAAAAggggghhhhh!" Screaming at the top of my lungs "Oh my God!!!!" I stuck a solid hookset. Now I just had to hang on. He circled around the small boat and then launched 2 feet out of the water. KAPLOOOSH! In the mist of the showered splash, my 4 oz bucktail got launched back at me, and you could hear the blades rattling in the air. I was a nervous wreck. I tried to keep my composure as my trembling hands untangled the slack line.
Then here goes Crystal..."AAAAAgggggghhhhhhh!!!! I saw him chase it in!!!!!" She's got a musky on her bucktail tethered to only 2 feet of line. Headshaking and splashing the water like crazy.
Flip the Bail , Flip the Bail I yell. I can't I have to sit down Poor Crystal is afraid she's going to fall in. I watch her fish churn the water to froth and head shake to freedom in about 10 seconds of chaos. Now she’s rattled and shaking. Unbelievable!
We float on to the next deep hole, and there’s a giant fish laying on the bottom. We cast several times, no dice. 20 yards later, Crystal’s yelling again...she’s got a mid 40's fish on the chase, but she freezes, and can’t figure 8. I watched the catchable fish calm back down...and I can’t get mad...but I keep on yelling, “Figure 8! Figure 8!”
Next deep hole, Crystal starts yelling...another take. A large boil and flash where her bait landed, but no hookup.
My God guys....we did not land any, but that was the most intense hour of fishing that I could have ever pictured.
There is no easy way to those fish, and we’ll just have to leave them for next time. Evening was sinking in heavy, and we still had several low light shoals to get done with our float.
A few more scenes:
We drifted back in the dark, making it back to our campsite still in time to eat at a small dive restaurant called the Palisades. This place was awesome. A great menu, later night hours, microbrews and brick oven pizzas.
About a 2 mile drive, we’re back at camp. We drank a bottle of champagne to celebrate a truly blessed day. It was perfect. I woke up to rain on the tent. Launched the boat, and raised Crystal’s first muskie twice downstream, but no hookups this morning.
We packed up the gear , drove to a town up river and watched Sunday football at a great little wing joint/Sports Bar.
Cajun Asian and Garlic BBQ.
Drove home in the rain. Now back to real life.....and planning the soonest time we can return. If not this fall, definitely this winter.
Travis
