Every year I head up to the cabin for a week of chasing muskies. In previous years we have had a lot of success including a fish over 55 inches hitting the net each year, and this year followed that pattern. I started the weekend fishing with now brother-in-law Andy Gothe and another friend Joe Maciej. We were able to boat 2 fish on the first day including a monster 28 incher! It sounds funny to say that, but seeing these small fish is a good sign for years to come. We want muskies in lakes to continue reproducing and growing. They headed home for the work week so I was up there for 5 days by myself. I hooked up with some local guys I know and was able to keep the Muskies going throughout the week. The weather during the middle of the week was stable with a big front moving through on Thursday the 16th. A couple of nights we were able to put multiple fish in the boat including a 4 fish day on that Thursday. One interesting story that I thought was the craziest thing of all time, I was fishing with friend and local guide Paul Pollock, I was telling him a story of when I saw a baby loon get taken out by a Muskie years ago. I had just finished the story when a mother and baby duck come cruising in and land within a cast distance of the boat. “That’s a bold spot for a duck to land,” I stated. Just as I said that we heard a giant splash and the ducks quacking like crazy as they sped away. We snap our heads around and see a Muskie come to the surface, I quickly cast in the direction and about 3 cranks in, she hammers the bait. It was a super tank 44.5 Inch that you can see below. It was a surreal moment that I will never forget. I don’t know how it missed the baby duck, but luck was on my side. If you are going to the Vermilion area and looking for a good guide who has a lifelong experience on the lake, give Paul a call! http://www.pollockguideservice.com/index.html/ When the cold front moved in on the 16th, it had the fish moving! Cloudy, Rainy, 20 MPH winds, and a high of only 59 degrees, it was your typical frontal conditions. Most people would look at the extended forecast and make the prediction that it would shut the fish down, not in this case. Normally when you get the north wind, clear bluebird skies and a low temp is when I feel the fishing slows. If you can time it right and be out on the lake while the front in moving through, it can make for an awesome day. That is just what happened on the 16th. I was fortunate enough to fish with fellow Thorne Brothers employee and Muskie expert Luke Ronnestrand. Luke and myself just went out for that one morning on the 16th from 9-2 and boated 4 fish, including a 55 inch Vermilion giant, which completed my 55 inch Muskie hat-trick. The fish were going on every spot it seemed like, and it was only a matter of time before we bumped into a big one. See the full story in the “Muskies” section on the website. Overall it was a great week, between myself, and the others that I fished with, we boated 9 Muskies with a few other close calls. Check out the pictures below!
The 44.5" tank that tried to take down a baby duck before falling for the Silli Girl.
This 46" is a healthy fish, and going to be a future monster, I'll see you in a few years!
A good way to start a morning. This is a super blonde, fat 48.5 incher.
55 inch Muskie. This fish is my third over 55 which I am truly grateful for. A true beauty of a fish. I would be more than happy to catch her in late October!