Never ever skimp on your leader - A Musky story

[gordy28ca]

Going through some old pictures I found a few of me, my brother and my Dad on Balsam Lake

We used to sneak away for a few nights around fathers day to fish and hang out while our kids were young.

My parents sold there trailer a few years ago but were in the same park, same lake for almost 40 years!

One sequence in particular stood out- me with a nice musky (a PB actually) and my Dad with one. 

As most fishing stories go - the catching wasnt the biggest event of the day lol

Anyone else got some good "the ones that got away stories"

My newest post is up

https://www.northernjacks.com/post/never-ever-skimp-on-your-leader

Cheers

Andrew

[CaptainCrappie]

It was early April, and the weather wasn’t too bad.  Chilly but the wind wasn’t blowing so I thought I’d hit the lake for some crappie fishin.  They don’t call me Captain Crappie for nothin!  I did not have any minnows so I decided I would use some small jigs tipped with a Gulp minnow, with a slip float..  The 1” size is my favorite and color doesn’t seem to matter. The lake (Leeseville Reservoir) is only 1006 acres, has a 10HP limit and is fished very hard, mainly because it is stocked with muskies. It’s less than 5 miles from my home.  Lots of bass fisherman as well as there are many weedy areas. The water clarity is the best of the flood control lakes in Ohio.  It’s not unusual to count 40-50 boats in your vicinity during the summer months, so the fishing pressure is very heavy.

I launched my 14 FT. aluminum Starcraft and idled toward an area not far from the ramp. On the way there I noticed the Ohio Division of Wildlife were checking their nets. Now those nets are big and are shaped like a funnel.  Big entry which narrows down into a “catch area”. I have watched them before and am always amazed at what is in that catch area. What their primary goal is. is to net the female muskies, milk their eggs, measure them, and return them to the water.  They hope is to milk a min. of 15 lbs. of eggs. The eggs are then taken back to a hatchery and fertilized there, raised to an “advanced fingerling” size (7-9”} by fall, then stocked at other lakes in Ohio. Of course what ever enters those nets is captured, not just muskies.  I approached them and asked if I could watch…. I always ask.  They said “sure”.

What caught my eye was the number of saugeyes (cross between a female walleye and male sauger) that were showing up in that net.  The net was full of em, big ones… had to be 4 to 7-8 lbs.  I said to them, wow!  What’s the deal with those saugeyes?  Why so many? They told me that where the nets were located, 8-10 ft is an ideal depth that the saugeyes use when they are on their spawning run.  Even though they are a hybrid (not fertile) they still spawn. The ODOW doesn’t even measure them, they just release them, as well as bass or anything else.  I watched one year as they released a crappie…. They did measure that one… Why?  Because that thing was 19”!!! That thing had to to be 3-4 lbs.!  I said Holy Crap! “Could be a state record” they said.  I continued to talk to them about those saugeyes and told them that I can’t figure them out. Any tips?  “This time of year, fish with live bait, maybe a worm harness, fish it at the same depth as these nets, and fish near the bottom.”  Even though there are plenty of those stocked saugeyes in Leeseville, not many are reported as being caught. And that “spawning window is short and may be during the night.”

OK then, now my saugeye urge is in high gear. But,  big butt here…  I did not have my “walleye” box with me! That is one of my pet peeves… not having stuff with me!  How could I be so stupid? Right T-Bone?  I was going to crappie fish!  The ODOW left to check their other nets and I stared into my “crappie box’ in hopes of coming up with a saugeye plan.  Ah Ha!  While rummaging through my box, I found one of my guaranteed, home made, worm harnesses. Now what?  It was a two hooker.  OK then,  just for the heck of it, I put a 2” chartreuse twister tailed grub, with imbedded metal flake, on the first hook, and since I also had a container of 3” Gulp minnows in the box I put one on the rear hook of that harness.  I let about 6 ft .of line out and admired how much flash the blade and grub put out.  If I could have reached, I would have patted myself on my back. I got this!
So one more thing,  I had to put some weight on my set up to get it to run near the bottom.  I had some spit shot with me so I pinched about a ¼ oz. worth about 18” ahead of my harness. I slowly let out my line… 6 lb. fire line with a 10 lb. fluorocarbon worm harness leader, with a Ultra Lite underspin rod and reel.  I turned on my Minn Kota to a slow speed and off I started, trying to parallel those nets.  May 40 ft later….. I was hung!  Uh, well hung!...  I only wish…. Never mind!

Man did I have that net!  I did a 180 and turned toward the hang up.  It was directly under my boat and I contemplated getting my telescopic lure retriever to help get me loose.  What the heck!!! The hang up started to move. Not fast, not jerky, just a slow deliberate pull. It was like getting caught on a piece of old submerged wood, too heavy to reel in but able to pull line from the reel.  OMG!  There’s something on the end of my line!   Woah!  What is it?  Maybe a catfish?  I’ve hooked a big snapping turtle before and that felt similar.  OH GOD!  Just please let me see it!  Please!  I just have to know!  Steadily it pulled my boat away from the nets, towards deep water, out in the middle of the lake.  It began to pull harder and I would release the reel trigger in order to keep that thing from snapping my line.  I would then reel my line in as I got closer, ending with it below the boat.  Then off it would go again.

Wait!  Maybe 40 ft. away It is starting to come towards the surface.  This was the 5th episode of it taking out my line. I still did not know what it was.  Yikes!  I see the split shot!   That thing is about 4 ft. away from that so I know it’s gotta be visible soon!  I’m shaking like a leaf!   I see it!!!  A giant musky surfaced then dove to the depths.  OMG!  Now what?  I slowly worked the boat over to that giant fish and grabbed my stretchable rubber bass sized landing net. The net is 22” in DIA and stretches to about 30” deep.  Oh yeah,  just what the heck was I going to do with that?  Oh I know,  I’ll just get it in head first and flip it in the boat.  There it is, right beside the boat….  Here goes!  What do think happens when your landing net is fully stretched and only about a third of the fish is actually in the net?  Well, it’s not a pretty sight!  The fish falls back out , that’s what!  And now it’s very pissed off!  Luckily I hit the line release as off it went again.  OK, different plan.
My mind still racing says, “just grab the darn thing!”  Maybe through the gills, may the tail, whatever, just put on your big boy pants on and do it! Now this is the seventh time that fish was either under or close to the boat.  OMG!  I’m getting another chance!  I had the rod in my left hand with maybe 6 ft of line from the tip.  The fish is now up next to the boat and I can see the worm harness line between it’s monster teeth!  OMG!  The head on this fish is huge!  I’ll have to go for the gills….  We made eye contact, I lunged for the fish and I missed as it had enough of me and snapped my line!  It was over.

I was still shaking as I called my wife. My voice was trembling as I relived the experience to her. She says to me “Oh, don’t wory, you’ll catch another.”  Faye, you don’t understand, it was a fish of a life time.  “Hey you got your prayer answered, didn’t you?  God let you see it?”  I had that musky on for approx.. 35 minutes, had it close to the boat seven times.
About week later, I see the ODOW checking their nets again so I approached them again.  I asked, “remember me from a few days ago?”  Yes, they remembered.  Let me tell you what happened soon after you left the nets.  They were intently listening to my story. Well, that morning… before I got there, a 53” musky was milked for it’s eggs and released right there.  I’d like to believe…. No, I do believe,  that it was the same fish.  I will never forget it.
C.C.

[Jay Thomas]

Great story CaptainCrappie . Thank goodness for memories.

Jay

[Oarin]

Great stories!

[gordy28ca]

It was early April, and the weather wasn’t too bad.  Chilly but the wind wasn’t blowing so I thought I’d hit the lake for some crappie fishin.  They don’t call me Captain Crappie for nothin!  I did not have any minnows so I decided I would use some small jigs tipped with a Gulp minnow, with a slip float..  The 1” size is my favorite and color doesn’t seem to matter. The lake (Leeseville Reservoir) is only 1006 acres, has a 10HP limit and is fished very hard, mainly because it is stocked with muskies. It’s less than 5 miles from my home.  Lots of bass fisherman as well as there are many weedy areas. The water clarity is the best of the flood control lakes in Ohio.  It’s not unusual to count 40-50 boats in your vicinity during the summer months, so the fishing pressure is very heavy.

I launched my 14 FT. aluminum Starcraft and idled toward an area not far from the ramp. On the way there I noticed the Ohio Division of Wildlife were checking their nets. Now those nets are big and are shaped like a funnel.  Big entry which narrows down into a “catch area”. I have watched them before and am always amazed at what is in that catch area. What their primary goal is. is to net the female muskies, milk their eggs, measure them, and return them to the water.  They hope is to milk a min. of 15 lbs. of eggs. The eggs are then taken back to a hatchery and fertilized there, raised to an “advanced fingerling” size (7-9”} by fall, then stocked at other lakes in Ohio. Of course what ever enters those nets is captured, not just muskies.  I approached them and asked if I could watch…. I always ask.  They said “sure”.

What caught my eye was the number of saugeyes (cross between a female walleye and male sauger) that were showing up in that net.  The net was full of em, big ones… had to be 4 to 7-8 lbs.  I said to them, wow!  What’s the deal with those saugeyes?  Why so many? They told me that where the nets were located, 8-10 ft is an ideal depth that the saugeyes use when they are on their spawning run.  Even though they are a hybrid (not fertile) they still spawn. The ODOW doesn’t even measure them, they just release them, as well as bass or anything else.  I watched one year as they released a crappie…. They did measure that one… Why?  Because that thing was 19”!!! That thing had to to be 3-4 lbs.!  I said Holy Crap! “Could be a state record” they said.  I continued to talk to them about those saugeyes and told them that I can’t figure them out. Any tips?  “This time of year, fish with live bait, maybe a worm harness, fish it at the same depth as these nets, and fish near the bottom.”  Even though there are plenty of those stocked saugeyes in Leeseville, not many are reported as being caught. And that “spawning window is short and may be during the night.”

OK then, now my saugeye urge is in high gear. But,  big butt here…  I did not have my “walleye” box with me! That is one of my pet peeves… not having stuff with me!  How could I be so stupid? Right T-Bone?  I was going to crappie fish!  The ODOW left to check their other nets and I stared into my “crappie box’ in hopes of coming up with a saugeye plan.  Ah Ha!  While rummaging through my box, I found one of my guaranteed, home made, worm harnesses. Now what?  It was a two hooker.  OK then,  just for the heck of it, I put a 2” chartreuse twister tailed grub, with imbedded metal flake, on the first hook, and since I also had a container of 3” Gulp minnows in the box I put one on the rear hook of that harness.  I let about 6 ft .of line out and admired how much flash the blade and grub put out.  If I could have reached, I would have patted myself on my back. I got this!
So one more thing,  I had to put some weight on my set up to get it to run near the bottom.  I had some spit shot with me so I pinched about a ¼ oz. worth about 18” ahead of my harness. I slowly let out my line… 6 lb. fire line with a 10 lb. fluorocarbon worm harness leader, with a Ultra Lite underspin rod and reel.  I turned on my Minn Kota to a slow speed and off I started, trying to parallel those nets.  May 40 ft later….. I was hung!  Uh, well hung!...  I only wish…. Never mind!

Man did I have that net!  I did a 180 and turned toward the hang up.  It was directly under my boat and I contemplated getting my telescopic lure retriever to help get me loose.  What the heck!!! The hang up started to move. Not fast, not jerky, just a slow deliberate pull. It was like getting caught on a piece of old submerged wood, too heavy to reel in but able to pull line from the reel.  OMG!  There’s something on the end of my line!   Woah!  What is it?  Maybe a catfish?  I’ve hooked a big snapping turtle before and that felt similar.  OH GOD!  Just please let me see it!  Please!  I just have to know!  Steadily it pulled my boat away from the nets, towards deep water, out in the middle of the lake.  It began to pull harder and I would release the reel trigger in order to keep that thing from snapping my line.  I would then reel my line in as I got closer, ending with it below the boat.  Then off it would go again.

Wait!  Maybe 40 ft. away It is starting to come towards the surface.  This was the 5th episode of it taking out my line. I still did not know what it was.  Yikes!  I see the split shot!   That thing is about 4 ft. away from that so I know it’s gotta be visible soon!  I’m shaking like a leaf!   I see it!!!  A giant musky surfaced then dove to the depths.  OMG!  Now what?  I slowly worked the boat over to that giant fish and grabbed my stretchable rubber bass sized landing net. The net is 22” in DIA and stretches to about 30” deep.  Oh yeah,  just what the heck was I going to do with that?  Oh I know,  I’ll just get it in head first and flip it in the boat.  There it is, right beside the boat….  Here goes!  What do think happens when your landing net is fully stretched and only about a third of the fish is actually in the net?  Well, it’s not a pretty sight!  The fish falls back out , that’s what!  And now it’s very pissed off!  Luckily I hit the line release as off it went again.  OK, different plan.
My mind still racing says, “just grab the darn thing!”  Maybe through the gills, may the tail, whatever, just put on your big boy pants on and do it! Now this is the seventh time that fish was either under or close to the boat.  OMG!  I’m getting another chance!  I had the rod in my left hand with maybe 6 ft of line from the tip.  The fish is now up next to the boat and I can see the worm harness line between it’s monster teeth!  OMG!  The head on this fish is huge!  I’ll have to go for the gills….  We made eye contact, I lunged for the fish and I missed as it had enough of me and snapped my line!  It was over.

I was still shaking as I called my wife. My voice was trembling as I relived the experience to her. She says to me “Oh, don’t wory, you’ll catch another.”  Faye, you don’t understand, it was a fish of a life time.  “Hey you got your prayer answered, didn’t you?  God let you see it?”  I had that musky on for approx.. 35 minutes, had it close to the boat seven times.
About week later, I see the ODOW checking their nets again so I approached them again.  I asked, “remember me from a few days ago?”  Yes, they remembered.  Let me tell you what happened soon after you left the nets.  They were intently listening to my story. Well, that morning… before I got there, a 53” musky was milked for it’s eggs and released right there.  I’d like to believe…. No, I do believe,  that it was the same fish.  I will never forget it.
C.C.

Wow - that is an awesome story  - I can't imagine the surprise when you first got a glimpse?

For me musky are a special fish - I could honestly tell quite a few stories of seeing or hooking into them.  I spent a good chunk of time on Balsam Lake and another Lake in Haliburton (blog post coming soon lol) and both lakes had musky

An amazing yet crazy expensive passion if you get hooked on them -pun intended

Thanks in advance
Andrew