It was a cool, sunny September day on Balsam Lake and the water was as smooth as glass, a scene that was so surreal and perfect as I was the only one on the lake. My 'rig' consisted of a 14' flat back canoe with a Minn Kota trolling motor and I headed out to work the weeds on the north shore. At almost every pass I snagged the weeds with my gold Rapala Husky Jerk so I started to work the motor with one hand and held the rod with the other. At one point the line went taught and I thought I had caught the weeds again so I reversed the motor quickly and shut it down. I put tension on the rod and held it and to my surprise, the canoe was being pulled back! All of a sudden the drag let out quick and the biggest fish I have ever hooked broke water. Adrenaline rushed through me and all kinds of thoughts ran through my head. I had not planned to catch anything more than maybe a pickerel or largemouth and I didn't even have a net in the canoe. As the fish criss-crossed in front of me I realized it was a Muskie and I couldn't fathom a fish that size joining me in the canoe to remove the hook. I though of possibly grounding the canoe on shore but the weedbed was blocking my access. Just as I was running out of ideas, I saw a boat several hundred yards away. I yelled out and the boat turned towards me. As the guy in the boat approached, I was able to see that he was a serious fisherman with several rods in their holders and a huge net! He helped me land it and measured it out at 43". He had a cell phone and took some pictures and said he could email them to me. He typed in my address and asked me to check it but neither one could confirm it as we both need reading glasses. I waited several weeks and I didn't see anything so it seemed that perhaps he typed in the wrong email address. Soon after, I cross paths with one of the guys on the afternoon shift at work and he told me a story about a couple of guys that dropped by his house in Sutton. One of the guys, who he didn't know, starts talking about fishing and where they go and what they fish for. He mentions Balsam and Muskie and the guy tells my co-worker about helping this guy in a canoe land one a couple of months back. Having been told the story by me at the time, my co-worker realized the coincidence and confirmed it was me. I asked him if he could still get in touch with him and see if he still had the pictures. Within a week or so I had these fantastic pictures in my possession and was able to put an end to what would have been just another fish story.

Went back to basics, as nothing was working...worm and hook.....second cast ....wham....22" beauty