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mrcold · 05-23-2008, 09:00 AM

I got some info from Esoxjunkie about Watts. He told me the weekend to go up there, so I went up all by myself since my dad felt muskie fishing was a waste of time and my uncle had ranch duties for the morning. I got on the lake around 7:00, the sun was just about to come up. It took me about 45 minutes to get through the weeds and out to the channel. Got out in the channel, and the water was crystal clear and like glass. I had bought a new Abu baitcaster...and had never fished with one before (baitcaster, I mean). Bought a couple 6" jakes in perch and black perch. Cast at a weed edge, backlash. Stripped it out, worked the bait back...rinse and repeat. Third cast, stripped the line out from the backlash, reeled down, one twitch, and had my first muskie on. Reeled him in rather quickly, cause it was only a 28ish" fish. Got him in the net, lure popped out, and the net spun in my hand and dumped him right back in the water. I was a bit disappointed since I didn't get to bask in the glory with the fish for a second, plus didn't get the camera out for it.

Fished for another hour or so, and was about to throw at a muskrat house when I saw a big swirl out in the middle of the channel. I threw the bait out there, and right when it hit the water, it got absolutely blasted. I stood up and started fighting it, and this is when the sun was getting high enough that I could see down in the water. I was shocked to suddenly start seeing fish that looked to be in the 40" range swimming under the boat. The first one I saw, I thought was the fish I had hooked until I noticed my line was about 50' from the boat still. I spent probably 2 or 3 minutes getting her to the boat, where she sat on the bottom right under me flaring her gills and shaking her head. I'd try to horse her up to the surface, one tail flick and she was about 30' away...did that about 3 or 4 times before I finally got her to the surface. Tried to scoop her into the net about 3 times before I realized that was a futile effort. Then I got her by the boat, got her head in the net, dropped my rod and just scooped her back end up and got her in the boat. Grabbed my camera, dead battery. Looked around the lake, nobody in sight. Took a quick measure, she was about a 43" fish...looked at her, both sad that I had no witness nor camera, and also shaking with the excitement of it. Set her in the water and worked her until she seemed ready to go, and she just swam down to the bottom and sat there for 5 minutes while I watched her.

Not another bite for the next 6 or 7 hours...my uncle showed up later and I went and got him so we could fish for awhile. No other fish, no other bites, nothing. But we sat out in that channel and literally saw dozens of muskie that all looked to be over 40" fish swimming around that channel. It was an amazing day. Later, when we were leaving, Jamie and his partner showed up and I got to thank him for what he just taught me.

Since then, I've probably only caught a dozen or so, but nothing very big...though I guess I don't specifically target them very often, I just try to pick my bass holes based on the presence of the REAL fish.

Sorry for being so long-winded, but man do I love that story. All I have is a torn up Jake and a fading memory of it. I wish Dad had gone with me...both for a witness and to prove to him that it can be done. (actually, the following year, he went with me and lost probably a 30-32" fish at the boat, so he had to admit that they do exist)

05-23-2008, 09:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
mrcold Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 450 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I got some info from Esoxjunkie about Watts. He told me the weekend to go up there, so I went up all by myself since my dad felt muskie fishing was a waste of time and my uncle had ranch duties for the morning. I got on the lake around 7:00, the sun was just about to come up. It took me about 45 minutes to get through the weeds and out to the channel. Got out in the channel, and the water was crystal clear and like glass. I had bought a new Abu baitcaster...and had never fished with one before (baitcaster, I mean). Bought a couple 6" jakes in perch and black perch. Cast at a weed edge, backlash. Stripped it out, worked the bait back...rinse and repeat. Third cast, stripped the line out from the backlash, reeled down, one twitch, and had my first muskie on. Reeled him in rather quickly, cause it was only a 28ish" fish. Got him in the net, lure popped out, and the net spun in my hand and dumped him right back in the water. I was a bit disappointed since I didn't get to bask in the glory with the fish for a second, plus didn't get the camera out for it. Fished for another hour or so, and was about to throw at a muskrat house when I saw a big swirl out in the middle of the channel. I threw the bait out there, and right when it hit the water, it got absolutely blasted. I stood up and started fighting it, and this is when the sun was getting high enough that I could see down in the water. I was shocked to suddenly start seeing fish that looked to be in the 40" range swimming under the boat. The first one I saw, I thought was the fish I had hooked until I noticed my line was about 50' from the boat still. I spent probably 2 or 3 minutes getting her to the boat, where she sat on the bottom right under me flaring her gills and shaking her head. I'd try to horse her up to the surface, one tail flick and she was about 30' away...did that about 3 or 4 times before I finally got her to the surface. Tried to scoop her into the net about 3 times before I realized that was a futile effort. Then I got her by the boat, got her head in the net, dropped my rod and just scooped her back end up and got her in the boat. Grabbed my camera, dead battery. Looked around the lake, nobody in sight. Took a quick measure, she was about a 43" fish...looked at her, both sad that I had no witness nor camera, and also shaking with the excitement of it. Set her in the water and worked her until she seemed ready to go, and she just swam down to the bottom and sat there for 5 minutes while I watched her. Not another bite for the next 6 or 7 hours...my uncle showed up later and I went and got him so we could fish for awhile. No other fish, no other bites, nothing. But we sat out in that channel and literally saw dozens of muskie that all looked to be over 40" fish swimming around that channel. It was an amazing day. Later, when we were leaving, Jamie and his partner showed up and I got to thank him for what he just taught me. Since then, I've probably only caught a dozen or so, but nothing very big...though I guess I don't specifically target them very often, I just try to pick my bass holes based on the presence of the REAL fish. Sorry for being so long-winded, but man do I love that story. All I have is a torn up Jake and a fading memory of it. I wish Dad had gone with me...both for a witness and to prove to him that it can be done. (actually, the following year, he went with me and lost probably a 30-32" fish at the boat, so he had to admit that they do exist)