| THE GREAT MUSKIE CHALLENGE | | | | away from me. |
| My family and I had arrived at our summer cabin in | | | | I stood up on the back seat of the boat and prepared |
| Mercer, Wisconsin the night before and I was | | | | to cast my Pikey minnow lure to the edge of the |
| determined to be one of the first fishermen out on the | | | | reeds. I cast that lure about a foot from the edge of |
| lake that morning. I rolled out of my sleeping bag and | | | | the reeds. Patting my self on the back for such a |
| because it was still dark, grabbed my flashlight and | | | | great first cast, I began to reel in the lure. All of a |
| proceeded to untie the boat and push it down the | | | | sudden the water broke and I saw this large tail come |
| ramp into the water. I tied the boat up to the pier and | | | | out of the water. Instinctively, I gave the pole a big jerk |
| went hunting for the oars. I found them in the cabin my | | | | and when I did that the pole almost bent in half. It was |
| parents were sleeping in under my mom and dads | | | | obvious that I had hooked a pretty good size fish. I |
| bed. My parents weren't into roughing it by sleeping in a | | | | was determined to get that fish close to the boat so I |
| tent like me. Outdoor camping was not their thing. By | | | | could see how big it was. The fish and I fought each |
| the time I found the oars and got my ice chest filled | | | | other for about 3 or 4 minutes before I was able to |
| with ice and a couple of sodas it was light out. If I was | | | | get him close enough to see how big he was. The fish |
| going to be the first fisherman on the lake I had better | | | | was huge, so I hollered for help from the neighboring |
| get going. The boat was a metal row boat and the | | | | boats. One guy hurried over near me and lashed his |
| motor was my back, legs, and arms. My mission that | | | | boat to mine and climbed into my boat. He was |
| day was to catch a Muskie. Of course let it be known | | | | obviously an experienced fisherman. He not only had a |
| that there had only been a dozen or so Muskie caught | | | | net, but a small gun also. He netted the fish and then |
| in Long Lake in the last 2 years. Long Lake was not | | | | shot him in the head. We hoisted him into my boat and |
| exactly a Muskie hot bed. But, at age 12 I was one | | | | stuffed him under the wooden floor grate in the |
| determined young man. I didn't know Muskie didn't bite | | | | bottom of the boat. My helper asked me if I knew I |
| in the am or when the wind was blowing. Well, it was | | | | had just caught a big Muskie. I answered "yes" and |
| the am and the wind was blowing. I headed for a small | | | | thanked him for his help. He got back in his boat and I |
| island that was off shore about 250 yards. There was | | | | rowed for home. My parents and I took the fish to the |
| a large patch of reeds from the shore of the island out | | | | Long Lake Lodge to be weighed and measured. He |
| about 50 feet into the water. When I got about 20 | | | | measured 46.5" long and weighed 28 lbs 6 oz. I was a |
| yards from the reeds I decided that was the perfect | | | | real happy camper and my parents were very proud. I |
| spot. It turned out I wasn't the first one on the lake that | | | | crawled into my sleeping bag that night knowing that I |
| morning. There were already 2 boats about 50 yards | | | | had met The Great Muskie Challenge. |