The fish is on

[ledhead36]

You have been out for hours finally the fish is ON! How do you work the reel? I let mine go for ten seconds, sent the hook and enjoy the ride.

[zorthedog]

Well, here is my story.....
I was sitting casting with a friend along the St.Clair River in Sarnia. It was about 11:30 pm and the walleye were not biting at all. Both of us had tried an assortment of different color rubber jig heads and nothing was working. I put on a 5" long rubber, green, orange and yellow "supposed to resemble a perch" jig with a molded lead fish head on it...I had bought it because it looked like something that a fish might want to eat ....isn't that what we always say... After about 10 minutes casting, I hit bottom and snagged - or so I thought - I told my friend I had snagged and was getting up from my lawn chair .....then my rod pulled - and again it pulled ...I said ..this is not a snag ...suddenly the line took off. I let the drag off a little more on my Pfluger reel and held on. It went for about 20 seconds and stopped. I gave a little pull and it went again for another 10 seconds or so. I looked down to make sure I still had line left ...I did but the end was near. It stopped again and I slowly raised the rod and pulled it to me and reeled on the down swing. i did this for about 10 minutes and told my friend to get my spotlight because I wanted to see whatever it was if it came up close enough and if my line was to break-I use 8 pound test line...so not a lot of strength in it.We were about 8 feet above the water and my line was angled out which put tghe fish abouot 20 feet away from us still and I told my friend that whatever it was, it was coming up and to turn on the light....he did and wham, it did not like the light. The line went out again for about 2 minutes....and we had not seen anything yet. I fought the fish for about 10 more minutes and I knew by the line angle this time it was closer, only about 8 feet out from the edge. He turned on the light and holy crap ....we both just about put turds in our shorts ...it was a Muskie..thing was at least 4 to 5 feet long and looked huge. My friend threw my light down and grabbed his net ...it has an opening of 30" and has a 15' extension handle on it. I had taped a dollar store flashlight to it last year so when we fish at night, turn the light on and it shines on the net head, works great....but he did not turn it on....I had this giant right up to the bank, 8 feet below and in about 4 feet depth. He reached down and with no light on it, he touched the head and it gave a jerk and (I do not use a leader so you know what happened) my line just went snap. I had grabbed my light and shined it down to see it, he tried to net it but it had curled like a "C" and did not fit in the net. I almost jumped in the water to get that fish, but I just watched as it sat there for a few seconds and then casually swam back into the deep water. I wanted to cry...but all I could think was that I had fought that monster and brought it that close using 8 pound test on my reel. At least I saw it. My friend felt awful, but I did not blame him...it was just not meant to be.....that is how I looked at it. I just wish he had grabbed his camera from his tackle box and snapped a pic of it ....but alas he was too excited about the huge fish and did not think of it, neither did I until it swam away...So, I have a story of the One that got away. And what a Fish it was ....I will never forget that big fella.

[surfstix1963]

When I feel the hit I bow to the cow and when the line comes tight my circle hooks do the work.The temptation is not striking the fish with circles.

[DarkSkies]

Well, here is my story.....
. The line went out again for about 2 minutes....and we had not seen anything yet. I fought the fish for about 10 more minutes and I knew by the line angle this time it was closer, only about 8 feet out from the edge. He turned on the light and holy crap ....we both just about put turds in our shorts ...it was a Muskie..thing was at least 4 to 5 feet long and looked huge. My friend threw my light down and grabbed his net ...it has an opening of 30" and has a 15' extension handle on it. I had taped a dollar store flashlight to it last year so when we fish at night, turn the light on and it shines on the net head, works great....but he did not turn it on....I had this giant right up to the bank, 8 feet below and in about 4 feet depth. He reached down and with no light on it, he touched the head and it gave a jerk and (I do not use a leader so you know what happened) my line just went snap.

Great story Zor, what a unique colorfully descriptive writing style. I felt like I was there. You'll always have that memory. :thumbsup: