TWO FIFTY INCHERS IN ONE NIGHT by J. Girard

It was a cold calm night with a slight breeze from the Southwest. The moon was almost full, the sky was clear and the northern lights were dancing across the horizon. The boat was slowly drifting through a shallow channel on the Lake of the Woods. My fishing partner, Dick Carlson, was delicately positioning the boat with the electric trolling motor so that we would be in perfect position to cast over the submerged boulders that we had spotted earlier in the day. It was now time. We each casted out into the dark of the night, BLOOP, BLOOP, BLOOP, BLOOP, the creepers came crawling through the water like baby ducks out looking for an evening meal. Then out of the quiet of the night came a sound that only musky fishermen can recognize -- -- -- -- Ka Ploosh!!! The fish sucked the plug from the surface into its jaws. Do you got him Dick?

Yes and she feels like a good one! He asked exclaimed. This is a big fish, Jay. You'd better pull up the trolling motor and trim up the gas motor!

I frantically ran about the boat preparing it for the landing of the big musky. In less than 20 seconds I was in position to land the fish. The Dick, how's it going?

I can't get her up, she's bulldogging deeper in deeper!

That's okay, let her get out into deeper water, we've got a better chance of the landing her then. As I watched the line entering the water, with my headlight, I could see that the fish was truly fighting for its life. Finally, the fish turned and started towards the boat and up to the surface. First came the boil, and then the silvery side of a big fish appeared in the spotlight. Dick, it's a fifty Incher!

Jay, get ready, I'm going to try to get her close to the boat.

As Dick applied more pressure, the fish reacted in anger with a frantic run back to the deep water. I looked towards Dick's reel and could see the veins popping out on his wrists and his thumb applying pressure to the spool trying to slow the fish.

Dick cried out! It feels like she's stuck!

My heart sunk, I felt so helpless, what could I do to help? Dick, just keep pressure on her!

She's coming up, Jay, get ready! Once again I found Dick's line with my headlight and anxiously waited to net the fish.

Here she comes! Exclaimed Dick.

From out of the darkness came the musky cruising toward the boat like a submarine on top of the water. I encompassed the fish with the net, grabbed the hoop of the net with both hands and pulled the hoop to the side of the boat. I got her, Dick! Together we pull her up over the side of the boat and put her down on the floor. You got yourself a dandy fish! We shook hands in the celebration and then got back to the fish. Dick, you want the keep her or release her?

If she's 50 in. I want to keep her. While Dick got the tape measure I attempted to unhook the fish. To my amazement this monster had completely engulfed the bait. We put the tape on her and she was a good fifty inches long. Get the club Jay. I got the club and hit the fish. We again shook hands and began celebrating Dick's first 50 in. long fish.

This story does not end here. To do some unbelievable circumstances we were able to put Dick's fish in a freezer at Split Rock Lodge. Fortunately for us this enabled Dick and I to continue fishing our way back to camp.

The next spot we fished, I had a fish come up and smack my bait so loud that left both Dick's and my legs shaking. On the next reef Dick had a fish come up and smack at his bait and again another miss. It was obvious to both of us that the fish were on the move and that we should continue on fishing. As we approached the next reef I resharpened the hooks to needle sharpness, on my bait. On this reef I had two different fish hit and after getting two goods hook sets into each of them they got away. As you can imagine, I was sick to my stomach and wondering what had I done wrong. Dick encouraged me that done nothing wrong and that the fish had just grabbed the lure right so that I couldn't get hooks into them.

Well, we had one more spot the fish before the long ride into camp. Once again I checked my hooks -- ouch! -- yep there still sharp. When we arrived at the spot I tried to remember just exactly where it was I had a fifty Incher follow my Renegade up to the boat the day before. I was sure I remembered and began casting in that direction of the reef. BLOOP, BLOOP, BLOOP, BLOOP of, the creepers came marching back to the boat. We casted for about 30 minutes and had absolutely no action.

Dick and I pull started thinking that may be the feeding spree was over. We were just about to end our drift when Dick had a fish come up and splash at his bait. He threw back out to the same spot without any success. I casted out past the end of the reef for my final cast of the evening. Bloop, bloop, bloop, bloop, splash! A fish hit my lure and I set the hooks several times.

You got her? Exclaimed Dick.

Yep I got this one! The fish made a long run toward deeper water. I set the hooks again just to make sure I got hooks into this fish. I could feel the fish shaking its head trying to free itself from the force that was holding her. By this time Dick had the trolling motor up and the outboard motor up.

Jay, do you want me to get the net or the movie camera? I started gaining line on the fish and just about her into the light of the spotlight when she made a tremendous surge toward the deeper water.

I hit the free spool, was applying pressure with my thumb and was holding on to what I now realize was a big, big fish. The fish stopped its run and slowly raised up to the surface. As I slowly started to reel her towards the boat I gained site of her entering the beam of the light that the spotlight was giving off. I could see that there was something wrong. Dick, she's hog tied! Put the camera down and net her! The fish had wrapped the line around her body and under both gill plates. I knew that I was fighting this fish on borrowed time and was now or never to net her. Get her into the net! He plunge the net into the water and I guided her into the trap. Dick grabbed the hoop of the net and pulled it to the side of the boat. The fish went crazy! Then my line snapped! Get her into the boat! With one fluid motion Dick lifted the netted fish into the boat. The fish look huge on the bottom of the boat. Dick get the tape measure so we can see how long she is. While he got the tape I unhooked and got the fish out of the net. I held the end of the tape while Dick read off the legth with the flashlight.

51, 52, she's 52 inches long!

It was now that I realize that I had to make a very big decision. Knowing that I have a 32 lb. 6 oz. Chippewa Flowage musky above the fireplace at home, I decided to release her. Dick picked up the VCR camera and filmed me releasing the biggest fish that I have ever caught. After the fish swam into the darkness of the night Dick and I shook hands and began to celebrate our magnificent evening of fishing

What a night! The night that Dick Carlson and I will never forget. The night that brought Dick Carlson of 50 in. 31 pound musky and Jay Girard of 52 in. release musky that approximately way 35 to 37 pounds.

I'm still excited!