I love these fish.

After traveling the East Coast for a week, I flew to Minnesota to meet up with my friend Bart Rosen for a few days of Gladiator Muskie fishing. I arrived in Minneapolis on the 20th and was picked up at the airport. We drove a few hours up to Mille Lacs a few hours away. The original plan was to go out and fish a few hours that night but by the time we got there and situated, we decided that bed was a better idea. Our plan was to get up and meet some friends of ours at 8am for breakfast before dropping in.

So we get up about 7am and get ready. I look out the window to see a nice "breeze" cutting through the trees. After breakfast, we headed to one of the launch ramps located on the Southeast side of the lake. As we pull up, we notice the flag is flappin good but we decide to drop in there to see how it looks. Mind you not only is it blowing about 10 miles per hour (not bad but the lake is a giant bowl and 26 miles long), it's about 25 degrees. So we drop in and start to head out of the marina. As we are pounding through 3 - 4 footers, I look back to see our buddies turning around for the launch ramp. They ended up going to the North end of the lake out of the waves. We pound on and get to our first reef (I'll call it reef A). We get set up and I take a look at the chart plotter and trails he has run before to get a layout of what it looks like. We threw out a single drift sock and started casting Bull Dawgs (A swimbait like... tadpole looking... curlytail chunk of rubber that are 12 - 15 inches long). On my fifth cast I get a preasure bite on the fall and put this one in the boat.



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This one went 42 inches and was a big relief to get one early as the bite has been really tough. We continued on the same drift on the same reef (About a mile long) and I got a second bite that I didn't get the hooks in. That one bit the tail off of my bait. We went and fished a second reef after working Reef A for a few hours. Nothing went on Reef B. With the wind direction the way it was out of the NW, we only had a few options on reefs we could fish.

Back to Reef A... After about 15 minutes of drifting the edge of the reef, I looked over at Bart and watched him set up on a fish. As I scramble to get the net, I slipped on the icy carpet and kick the net. As I'm scrambling to get it untangled, Bart tells me that it's over 50 inches and to get a move on it. I finally get in untangled and put the scoop on this giant.



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This fish went 52 inches long by 27 inches around. As far as we know, this is the second heaviest fish out of Mille Lacs this year. It calculated out at 47+ pounds. We were both wrecked after this fish as it took so much out of us. We continued on but that was the last of the action for the first day.

Day two brough high expectations as you can imagine. We once again launched on the Southeast side of the lake but at a ramp that was closer to Reef A. Our plan was to fish the same two reefs and possibly a third if in fact the wind switched to the WNW as predicted. We set up on reef A and made a few drifts on it for nothing. It was a tad rougher today with wind to 12 MPH so boat control was harder as was just standing up. The waves were 2 - 4 and built throughout the day to solid 6 footers in the early evening. We headed over to Reef B once again for nothing. After looking at the plotter, I saw some old cookie trails on there with with a Reef that was close by. Bart suggested that we hit that Reef as it set up OK with the wind. So we roll over there and get set up. About 1/3 of the way down the reef, I got pummeled as my Bull Dawg made a slight turn. I was watching my bait and all of a sudden, it just disappeared. The fish came up from behind it and just sucked the bait in. I immediately freaked out and told Bart it was a giant and if he didn't net it right now, it was gone. I said this because the fish sucked the bait in so far, I could see my 100 pound Flourocarbon leader coming out of her mouth and it was shreaded. After a short battle, Bart put the scoop on this one.



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This one was 51 inches long and had a 24 inch girth. She taped out at about 38 pounds. We were stoked to have two giants over 50 inches. Bart's fish was his second after fishing Muskies for 6 years. This was also my second (being VERY fortunate for this being only my second trip).

We headed back to Reef A to make 2 drifts to close out the day. In the same area that Bart got his 52 the day before, He hit this fish...



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This was a little guy that went 38 inches but was our fourth fish in 2 days which is great considering the guides were not getting any fish in the last few days. We ended the day about an hour after that fish. It was a rough day on our tackle. The wind, waves, cold air temps (25 - 32), water temps were 42 degrees... it was a tough day of fishing. I also had my first experience of having to chip ice off of the reels to make them work. Iced guides were common too.

Day three was going to be a half day because I had to get on a plane to go back to the east coast. Any fish today were going to be a bonus. We got out on the water an hour earlier today. We were wondering why with intermittent snow showers, 20 degree weather and a sustained 15 MPH wind. With two drift socks... it wade it a little more comfortable to fish in 4 - 6 footers but not much. Bart had made about 10 casts before I was set up. As I got ready to cast he yells that he's got one. I grab the net and put the scoop on our fifth fish of the trip.



http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/5362-Bart_44.JPG


She went 44 inches and turned out to be the last fish of the trip. We fished another 3 hours before we had to get to the airport. The trip though was almost cut shorter that morning. As I was working on Bart's 44, I was attempting to cut the hooks as we couldn't get them out. I was leaning over the rail working on the fish when we got hit broadside by a steep 6 footer. I went into the net with the Muskie head first. Luckily, Bart saw me and jumped on my legs and pulled me out. Not only did I get "eye to eye" with a Muskie, I got to experience just how cold 42 degree water is on your head.

Overall.... stellar trip. We both got 50+ ers and we put 5 fish in the boat. Awesome trip and I can't wait to do it again next year.

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mother trucker! Huge congrats on those muskies man :) :) :)

:o Hell yeah, those are some beauties, congrats on such a productive trip!!

OMFG Increditable

Wow those are some bad ass fish there Mark. This is Oliver, Alex's buddy. Remember we came by your house the day before you left? Glad to see you guys got some monsters. I stuck a 10.5 lber at the pudd that friday...too bad it was a channel cat that decided my tripple trout looked like a big swimming piece of mackerel or something, haha.

radddddddddddddd.

http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/bigreenjobass/

Mark your a freak! You should get a mount done of your fish!
I bet if you contacted a few taxidemist you will find one who will do it in trade for some rods and reels. Those things are awsome! I'll see you in a couple weeks

www.mattlures.com

good lord thats a heck of a trip!

Ryan Thoni


If people concentrated on the important things in life there would be a shortage of fishing poles.
~Doug Larson