September's Musky Memory
By: Marlene Rittmueller © 1996
Every outing is a learning experience and I always look forward to the quality time
on the water with my husband. My enthusiasm for musky fishing grows every year. Granted,
it is not the most glamorous sport for women, but I wouldn't trade the time on the water
and the thrill of a catch with any other sport. I certainly have caught the musky fever
and it shows no sign of diminishing. I've been musky fishing for ten years and one of the
most memorable moments was on September 12, 1994.
 My husband and I got an late
start one evening on the Chippewa Flowage but we were confident we would see some action
that night. We had seen a lot of action during the week and I had caught a 34 1/2"
musky the night before. The conditions were perfect for fall muskies. It was cloudy,
misting and cold. What better musky fishing weather?? My husband chose the first spot but
someone was already into the drift. I chose the next "quick" spot that was a
tiny island with a nice cabbage bed. My husband was still getting situated when I made my
first cast. I was using a black LeLure Fetch & Catch and had cast it next to the
cabbage in about three feet of water. After two cranks on the reel, I saw the water behind
my bait swell. Before I could say a word, the water exploded. I did not set the hook until
I was sure I felt the fish hit. I have learned from experience not to set the hook as a
reaction to the "explosion." The fish was on and immediately dove down. I knew
it was a big fish and screamed "Get the net!!" The rain was coming down harder
now and there was thunder in the distance. The fish was finally netted after some good
runs and thrashes by the boat. After a quick measurement of 44 inches and a photo, I
gently released it to fight again someday. As the photo demonstrates, I could barely hold
up the fish. This catch was toward the end of two hard core weeks of pure muskie fishing.
My shoulders and back were sore from countless hours of casting.
It has taken a great deal of patience on the part of my husband to bear
with me while I learned the basics of musky fishing. He has taught me to cast, tie my own
knots, work the different baits, tune baits, sharpen hooks and net fish with confidence.
He has given me the encouragement it takes to be successful on the water. Reading musky
magazines and attending seminars specifically for musky fishing has also increased my
knowledge. Boat positioning is skill in which I am still learning. There are many
conditions to consider to strategically place the boat. The wind is an important
consideration as well as the structure being fished. The boat needs almost constant
monitoring to insure proper positioning. This is one skill I hope to master this season.
The only difficult thing I have
not been able to do is remove the hooks from the fish. We have an annual
afternoon fishing contest between the men and the women. The question always
asked is who will remove the hooks in the women's boat if we catch a fish.
So far we have not had to answer that question.
|
