Consolation Prize 7/11

[John Pensyl]

Had the day off today but had some things to get done so decided to wait for Cullen to get out of work and put in some time with the pm shifters.  Got to the launch at about 4:30 and when I attempted to raise the motor to ditch the transom saver I had no power.  After a quick review the culprit was the livewell switch up front, Stupid mistake, probably flipped it while putting the Foot pedal away Sunday.  Jumped the battery from the trolling motor battery and off we went. 

Figured if I trolled for a half hour it would charge enough to keep me going.  WTF was I thinking???  Trolling without electronics is no fun at all.  I trolled blindly past Scott in his lund while he played with panfish near the weed beds and once we said our hello's and I got some solid advice for the evening I did what I should have done in the 1st place.  Hooked everything up to one battery and headed for the west river!  Trolling isn't what they want!! 

Set down in front of Frenchmans with a nice chop on the water, just enough to let me get away with a 2oz jig.  Didn't make it far before I had a decent little fish checking out my tube as a brought it back toward the boat.  I found it entertaining so I told  Cullen to jump up front and watch the show.  I new in my mind I was gonna get this fish to go, I danced the tube up and down and sure enough about 10 foot off the bottom he made his move, t-bone the tube head first and I smashed him!!  Ripped him 5 foot straight up with a monster hookset that turned the fishes whole body sideways.  We both shouted out, TIGER!! and then the fish came off...  Downer, never got a hook in em, bit it above the hooks and I just ripped it out.  0-1 5:30pm

Made it down around the bend and Cullen has a little guy chase him up. Just saw 2 fish in 10 minutes not bad. 5:40 

Drifted down river a ways with no luck and decided to eat the Subway subs I grabbed on the way up. They didn't last long, but while I ate I looked at my shredded ninja tube and decided it had about had it.  Broke out a new one, a new rig and what the hell a new leader too, I just had that feeling I should.  As I'm re-rigging Cullen decides he's going to troll, he casts a black perch ernie off the back of the boat and heads up the shoreline.  Just as I'm trimming the tag end off my knot I hear is rod go off, bonus!  A Scrappy little 30 incher made its way to the net, shook the hook, dipped the net and off he went.  6:05

Wind started to rip up out of the North at this point, put a real nice chop on the water.  We ripped back up to the top of the drift and began popping tubes again.  Didn't take long, I felt a fish pick up my jig and I absolutely hammered it, perfect, not going anywhere.  This fish was good, new right away, she fought me hard to the boat and ripped me right back to the bottom a couple times, hardest fight I've experienced yet, she was so strong, but I had her. I brought her back to the top and we just had to ease her into the net, 4 feet away from the lip, almost there...  1 more head shake, how much harm could it do??  I could see the front hook burried through the corner of her mouth, I could see the bright white flesh where it ripped right in.  Done deal, how much harm could come from that last shake before I put her in the bottom of the beckman?  I leaned back to ease her in, she swung up and to the side violently and my tube went skyward. I quickly threw the tube back at her face as she sat on the surface 10ft from the boat.  I don't know If I wanted her to bite it or if I just wanted to snag her in the head but I was in panic mode and she was swimming away.  Away she went and there I was with another big fish swimming away leaving me nearly broken.  Its 6:32, I'm 0-2, we got a lil guy on a lucky trolling run and  a 44-46 inch fatty and a beautiful mid 30s tiger are having a laugh at my expense.  

We rip back up to the top of the drift convinced that they are CHOMPIN!  Make it down to the magic waypoint and pop!  Cullens hooked up!  Slammed her good, XXH rod had solid bend and he's ripping her in, I got the net, almost in sight!  He's reeling her in fast, good pressure.... OFF, worst word ever......  6:44 and he's 1-2 and joins me in my jigging woes.  

We stay with the drift and keep rolling down river.  We're talking about missed opportunities, lost fish, why I was 100% with tubes last year and 40% this year.  We're sure its over for the day and then there it is...  She picked it up soft mid drop, perfect, I love it when they do that..  I loaded up and burried the hook, put the rod tip down and reeled as fast as I could, this fish wasn't going anywhere!  Told Cullen it wasn't big, I was ripping this one in as fast as humanly possible.  Brought her up spinning like a dead shaker that didn't pop the release and got dragged for 2 hrs on lake Ontario.  To my surprise she's close to 40 inches!  I go to high speed slide her in the net without a pause in this "fish retrieve" and she does the cutest little death roll, gets leverage on the jighead and throws the hook!!!!  WTF!!!  This is not possible, it's my consolation prize!!  I never lose the consolation prize!!!!!  Its 7:03pm I'm 0-3, we're 1-5 and I'm ready to lose it.  I didn't even care about that fish, but combine it with the other one and my knees are ready to buckle. 

This time it really is over, the wind shifts, it calms down, you can just tell... Ghost town.  I had one last shot in my mind,  out came the Line Counters and we spun the rail mounted down easts back into action as the sun quickly disappeared behind the Island.  Only one problem, neither of us have any confidence trolling the river, let alone our first time trying to troll at night.  Figured we'd do big circles along the contour lines and pass over all the waypoints where I'd hit fish jigging so far this year.  Up current, down current cross current 1.7, 2.4, 3.3, 3.8,4.9.  No idea wtf these fish want at night.  Gave me time to think, and gripe and just really beat myself up about what might of been.  It's 10pm, we decide to do one more circle and then off we go so I can find a bridge to jump off of.    Cross current we go toward strawberry, clean the weeds off and up current along the break we go, clean the weeds off, cross current across my waypoints.  Click, click, clickity, clicliclick cllick click, rods going off!  My mind is racing at this point, 21 fow, not bottom, rods bouncing, not bottom.  Fish! Fish! Fish!  I fight it in like a salmon, I know how to land salmon!!  Pump her in, put her in the net and the weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders!!  This 40.5 inch, sucker Draider night time feeding beauty just saved the day!!! 

Its 10:15pm, I'm 1 for 4, we're 2 for 5, I'm 8 for 17 on the season dropping every big fish I've hooked boat side and all of the sudden its ok again!!   I got my consolation prize!!

I can't wait until tomorrow!!!

[Tony Scime]

Great report John. The way you're going I know we'll be seeing your big happy face in a picture with a big muskie soon!

Who knows, you might even turn into a night troller. Used to be that was the best way to catch big muskeis in the heat of summer.

[Scott McKee]

Awesome report John.  You tell one hell of a story.  I see a few newsletter articles in your future.  Night trolling, while not as productive at it use to be, is at least peaceful.  It's nice having the whole River to yourself.  Heading across stream towards Strawberry behind humps and on contour lines in the Triangle has been putting fish to the net for a long time.