NumenOn the Water
Date: 11-29-16
Date: 11-29-16
Body of Water: C Lake
Boat: Numenon
With: Alone
Target: Muskellunge
Time: 8:30 AM - 3 PM
Conditions: Clear and Bright; unseasonably warm (to 59 F) with persistent southerly winds 15-20 mph. Water was brown and reasonably clear; 42 F.
I'd already stabilized the fuel and fogged the engine, but given an unexpected day off work while at home, combined with the prospect of comfortable fishing conditions, I made a final attempt for the season. I targeted muskies at local C Lake.
The nearby bait shop had no suckers, and the ramp's dock was pulled from the water for the season, but I was still on the water and over a historically productive weed bed by 8:30 AM. I threw a variety of jerk- and crank-baits, as well as a big rubber Shadzilla over the weeds and edges, but never raised a fish.
I chose to work in some trolling. I was consistently marking panfish and/or baitfish immediately adjacent to the weeds in about 12 feet of water. I alternated through a fair number of baits, but I always ran a Bucher Deep Raider; at about 50 feet back, it was just occasionally ticking weeds, but certainly running closest to bottom. My trolling speeds ranged from about 2.7 to about 4.5 mph as I tried to dial in.
On my second lap of trolling, I saw this rod jump; and then the drag started slipping. Fish On! I carefully played this heavy fish. The fight was not fantastic, but I was still extremely pleased to have, perhaps, saved my muskie season! About halfway to the boat, I could tell the fish was oddly hooked; this probably accounted for the strange fight. Still, it was a heavy fish, and it provided a variety of surface swirls and hard digs. Just as I was reaching for the net, the fish came into full view; and there she was, a monstrous carp, snagged by the head.
I suppose this was, in the big scheme, less likely than actually having hooked a muskie on this lake.
Somewhat deflated, I returned to casting, with more of the same results. I trolled again, too, and had a short but solid rip (while on the phone with K!), but did not hook up. Perhaps that had been my fish.
I tried; but I still had to get the boat back on the trailer and re-fog her engine, gas up and store her. I was off the water, skunked, by 3 PM.
I'd already stabilized the fuel and fogged the engine, but given an unexpected day off work while at home, combined with the prospect of comfortable fishing conditions, I made a final attempt for the season. I targeted muskies at local C Lake.
The nearby bait shop had no suckers, and the ramp's dock was pulled from the water for the season, but I was still on the water and over a historically productive weed bed by 8:30 AM. I threw a variety of jerk- and crank-baits, as well as a big rubber Shadzilla over the weeds and edges, but never raised a fish.
I chose to work in some trolling. I was consistently marking panfish and/or baitfish immediately adjacent to the weeds in about 12 feet of water. I alternated through a fair number of baits, but I always ran a Bucher Deep Raider; at about 50 feet back, it was just occasionally ticking weeds, but certainly running closest to bottom. My trolling speeds ranged from about 2.7 to about 4.5 mph as I tried to dial in.
On my second lap of trolling, I saw this rod jump; and then the drag started slipping. Fish On! I carefully played this heavy fish. The fight was not fantastic, but I was still extremely pleased to have, perhaps, saved my muskie season! About halfway to the boat, I could tell the fish was oddly hooked; this probably accounted for the strange fight. Still, it was a heavy fish, and it provided a variety of surface swirls and hard digs. Just as I was reaching for the net, the fish came into full view; and there she was, a monstrous carp, snagged by the head.
I suppose this was, in the big scheme, less likely than actually having hooked a muskie on this lake.
Somewhat deflated, I returned to casting, with more of the same results. I trolled again, too, and had a short but solid rip (while on the phone with K!), but did not hook up. Perhaps that had been my fish.
I tried; but I still had to get the boat back on the trailer and re-fog her engine, gas up and store her. I was off the water, skunked, by 3 PM.
What do I have to say about this?
It was a skunk, but it really was a bonus skunk. It was an unexpected day on the water, with the lake all to myself. I tried to salvage my muskie season. While I failed to do so with a fish, I realize that there's no shame in getting skunked by these fish; and my overall season had been filled with many other nice fish of a variety of species. Numenon was likely done for the season, but I knew that it had been a good one!
It was a skunk, but it really was a bonus skunk. It was an unexpected day on the water, with the lake all to myself. I tried to salvage my muskie season. While I failed to do so with a fish, I realize that there's no shame in getting skunked by these fish; and my overall season had been filled with many other nice fish of a variety of species. Numenon was likely done for the season, but I knew that it had been a good one!
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