This is my first post on this forum. The occasion is my first Musky. Last Sunday morning on Stony Lake. A nice thick 41". Casting a black bucktail with a silver blade over a 9' week bed. I've caught pike this size and other bigger fish but this was without a doubt the most exciting fight. I saw the fish inhale the bucktail and it cleared the water twice, once right beside the boat. I was alone so I had to keep the boat off the rocks, fight the fish with one arm and net with the other. (Any advice on solo fishing is appreciated.)
The release was tough, though. It had inhaled the bucktail's back set of trebles deep into its gills. It was already bleeding so I didn't want to fumble around near the gills cutting hooks so I decided to pull the lure back through the gills. This worked well since I had pinched down the barbs on all my treble hooks. It took a long time to revive the fish but it finally swam off.
Sorry, no pictures. I had a camera in my pocket but I didn't want to stress the fish trying to figure out how to take a picture on my own. (Any advice on this is also appreciated.)
And then, of course, I spent the next 4 mornings flailing away without so much as a follow. Humbling. And a good reminder that I have a lot to learn. But, I have my first. And, I got to tell you all about it. Thanks for reading. Maybe it reminded you of your first.
