Dougy you really haven't missed much and tonight was no esception except this...
Todd, Dave and I fished a couple of spots and there wasn't anything going on, some bait along the edges of the pier but nothing chasing or slashing for that matter. From where we were on the south side looking Todd recognized Bobby. After a few minutes I walked over to see Bobby landing a walleye on the north side so... I told Todd, Bobby landed a walleye so I said I was going over. I went over to the other side and made a few casts and hooked a nice 18" eye followed up by a 19" about 30 minutes later. In the mean time Todd had gone back over and we casted for another 20 min. or so. Then on one of my casts I felt that small knot jump on the line about 12' back of the duo lock snap, so I am holding this knot in my hand and as I am picking the nest out I noticed my
jig and twister was hanging maybe 6" under the water.. Well I realized I can't get the knot out without going back to the van so I go to lift my
jig and I'm like, "Oh great now I'm snagged" So I gently tug on the stuck
jig and super slowly and with pouwer the line jumps 6" or so to the right and a slow headshake and then the bulldog weight instantly of a large tailed fish. Bobby was just getting ready to leave when I hooked this monstrosity of a fish. We tried 5 times and 5 times we had him in the net and couldn't lift it.
This is clearly the biggest fish I have ever had on a line it's approximatey 46" to 48" in length and 24 to 25 pds it had a head like a crocodile head and light silvery light green and heavy scaled. Bobby kept saying if we get this in it's going on the wall.
Later: Todd quickly criticized me for not handing Bobby the rod while I netted him. It would have been tough for me to land it it was just so heavy. Bobby was so excited I mean here's this grandfatherly 72 year old man quiet as all can be cussing and saying this is the biggest fish he's seen in this lake. I mean I was pumped.
Waht could have been aaaaargh!
On the 5th attempt we had her coiled about 1/2 way in the net and when we tried to lift it my
jig stayed in the net and the fish like on the 4 previous netting occasions with one half flop fell out of the net and was gone. Listening to Todd breaking my balls from the other side of the pier had me laughing like crazy trying to land this thing.
Anyway I lost a huge musky that's right a MUSKY on Oneida Lake this evening. After almost catching something like that I want at least 30" wide mouth on the net I puchase no doubt. Bobby and I were there and Todd an Dave got there a second to late to see her flop out of the net for the last time. Wanted to thank Bobby for helping with the net because without it would have been impossible to try to land by hand, nor would I want too. The teeth on this thing were nasty!
So their it is. My one that got away story! It was a thrill of a lifetime for only 10 minutes..
Todd will never let me forget about how I screwed up a huge musky... Oh well it was exciting for a moment..