The One that Didn't Get Away!!

[crispy critter]

Done a little fishing last night with my brother-in-law and this was the result....we were bass fishing using light tackle...light bait caster with a small 2 inch Mistake(mistake is the name of it) crankbait on 8lbs line with no leader and caught it in heavy timber!! Pic is no very clear because it was taken with a camera phone right at the edge of dark. It is a Muskie, 39 inches long and wieghing in at 24lbs!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: The One that Didn't Get Away!!

Come on; 8# test, heavy brush, no leader, sounds like a fish story to me! But Damn, nise lookin fish! Congrats. L

[crispy critter]

Re: The One that Didn't Get Away!!

It is a fish story, but this one is a true story,cross my heart. I even have a witness to back me up. I have caught several Muskie before but few were this big....I have caught several longer but not nearly as fat. I caught one once that was 43 inches but only weighed about 19-20 lbs(longest one I ever caught...so far) Most of them I caught while bass fishing and most of them that I was able to land in the boat were in fairly open water. This is by far the fattest one I have ever caught and I caught it on my lightest baitcaster in the heaviest cover I've ever hooked on in......that's what makes this one soooo special to me. Took me more then 15 minutes to finess it into the boat, chasing it with the trolling motor,in and out around the stumps,hung the trolling motor on a stump and broke the tip off one blade of the trolling motor,under the boat,around the boat.....it was a blast fighting it on the light tackle.
Cave Run Lake is located 15 minutes from my house and it is a world famous Muskie lake....one of the best in the lower 48. Two years ago the lake record was broken by a 14 year old girl fishing with her step dad(who is a local Muskie guide),I have no idea how long it was but it weighed in at 49lbs 14oz. I'm not a Muskie fisherman,I love to catch one when I can but I don't go all out with the big reels,3lbs/$30 dollar lures, and rods the size of fence posts strung with winch cable. I fish mostly for bass and do it for fun and to relax. I rarely keep anything unless I plan to eat it or mount it. So for me to catch a muskie at all and land it in the boat is a big deal to me. My cousin will fish this lake year round for muskie,that's all he will fish for,all the time. I have seen him break ice at the boat ramp just to lanch his boat. He spends a fortune doing it and is completely exhausting to go with him because he works sooo hard to catch one or two fish on a good day. With that said,he caught one yesterday morning that was 54 inches long and not the biggest he's caught!! I always said if I catch one over 45 inches I would put it on my wall with the rest of my collection. So far I have 3 largemouth(4lbs,6lbs,& 9lbs),1 kentcuky spotted bass(19 inches @ 6lbs), and 2 smallmouth(7lbs 2oz & 8lbs 15oz.). I also have a bluegill that is 14 inches long and 1lbs 12oz.(not a hybered!!). So a nice 45inch or bigger muskie would make a great addition.....maybe someday.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: The One that Didn't Get Away!!

Alright! 14" blue gill is a great catch too. I love to fish for'em with my fly rod, lots of fight but with all the underbrush where I fish on the Mississippi it means a lot of lost fish too. Love that light tackle, makes it fun, I once caught a 54lb Ma-hi Ma-hi (salt water dolphin) on 150lb. test line, just lean and crank, lean and crank, still took 45 mins. to get him aboard. No sport but still a lot of work! However nothing went to waist as I lived in a valley on Oahu and the neighbor lady (Hawaiian) cleaned him for me and I shared it with her. Even the brain was used for some special dish that she loved. L