I Brake For Muskies

This week has been a headache and a half. My truck's brakes have been giving me serious issues, to the point I did not feel safe driving my own vehicle. Everything was fixed this morning, but not without a hefty price tag - $1200 (new caliper, new brake pads, rotors, and drums, and an apparently faulty oxygen sensor). Friday was hopefully going to be a welcome reprieve from the week's events, though I had no concrete plans for the day.

Yesterday a mini-front moved through the area, one that was forecasted to precede a larger front which will drop temperatures severely over the next couple of days. The weather today, however, did not turn sour, but remained hot and muggy, although a bit windy. With the impending storm front approaching the city, I called Hedrik to see if he'd like to fish for a few hours and take advantage of the pre-frontal conditions. He agreed and we were off to the races.

Well sort of... With the trolling motor on 80% all I could do was hold our position in the wind, and bumping it up to 100% would drain the batteries lickity-split. We made one quick drift to gauge fish activity and were rewarded with just one follow. The wind increased and was pounding a nearby shoreline, so I hopped on the main engine and we trolled deep water for a while.

Both Hedrik and I are not big fans of trolling and prefer more tactile casting techniques, so we made a run up to an area that was out of the wind. Halfway through the drift the wind suddenly died and the "calm before the storm" descended upon us. The sky turned a dark, ashy gray. I began to get twitchy as I could feel the stars aligning for us. We approached a productive area and I noticed Hedrik clipping on a lure that has been particularly good for us. I thought, "Nice choice, Hedrik," and continued casting.

"THERE'S ONE," grunted Hedrik as the boat rocked from his solid hookset. I whipped around to see the boil created by our adversary. Hedrik was fast into a BIG fish. As it neared the boat my heart skipped a beat. This was bigger than I expected! There was no controlling the beast and Hedrik was at the absolute mercy of the fish. Every time the fish neared the boat it made another 180 degree turn and bolted from the boat, on a couple occasions peeling line from a locked drag. The fight lasted about 1 minute and with a quick scoop of the net Hedrik's prize was in the bag!

I knew instantly this fish was pushing that magical number. When we laid it on the bumpboard I was ecstatic as I read the verdict: 51 inches. The fish was so massive that I could not get a full vial of blood, though did get enough for glucose and lactate readings, which were both extremely high (might be the highest yet). The lengthy fight, water temperature (near 80F), and possibly air exposure from the photo period may have caused the stress levels to spike. We noticed rosy flanks, fins, and bloodshot eyes on the fish which could be related to the increased glucose and lactate values, though difficult to corroborate. Interestingly, guide Marc Thorpe has made similar observations and urges quick releases when this is seen, perhaps even forgoing out-of-water photos. I think this is good advice that should be considered when surveying your catch.

Triple bypass surgery? No problem. Hedrik's physio is lifting 30 pound muskies in his free time.

Swim away, sweetheart!

To top off the day, I caught a scrappy little 31". A guppy when compared to Hedrik's, but still fun nonetheless. This time I got a full vial of blood, a small victory for me. So after a long week I was well rewarded for my troubles. And for icing on the cake? My dinner consisted of a delicious pizza delivered to our front door. That little soft spot in my heart was beaming as the "Carlo's Special" was devoured in mere minutes. I will sleep well tonight!

Nice shirt, Hedrik!