My Dad and I got up at 5:15 Saturday morning with hopes of getting on the spring Salmon bite in Keeler Bay. We were at the launch by 6ish, set up and trolling by 7. With 2 Planer boards and 2 long lines dragging a variety of stick baits, I felt pretty confident that we were going to catch something. As we paralleled the shoreline, we made sure to pay close attention to both the water temperature and the other anglers around us. With cloudy skies, a cool breeze and a bit of a chop, I was surprised to see so many boats out already. I guess Salmon fisherman are a hardy breed of anglers.
I heard the tattle flag of the board slam down before I saw it lurching backwards in the water. I quickly grabbed the rod and gave it a good yank. Fish ON! It’s really difficult to tell how big a fish is with a heavy planer board constantly trying to drag your line away from the boat and a doubled over 9 foot medium light action trolling rod. Even after my Dad released the line from the board, I still didn’t know what to expect. Once the braid I was cranking in turned to mono, I knew that I was getting close. My net man extended the rubberized net and held the basket just above the water’s surface at the back of the boat, ready to strike at the first glimpse of my quarry. After a few futile head shakes, the golden Chain Pickerel rose to the surface and slid into the awaiting net. The specimen measured 23.5 inches. The perfect size for the table. I tossed the fish into the cooler with a sense of accomplishment. The skunk was out of the boat and headed for shore.
Another 3 or 4 hours of fishing was put under our belts before we finally found something that the fish wanted. I had probably changed out lures at least half a dozen times on my long line with no success, so My Dad decided to make a complete arsenal change. I began picking through my trolling boxes, looking for something different. That’s when I decided to try a color that had not yet made it into the water today, that being green. I put out three different lures for my Dad to choose from and he carefully made his decision and tied the tiny green and silver stick onto our planer board line. Within minutes we were hooked up. My Dad reeled in the first salmon of the day with no trouble at all. Just a squeaker Landlocked, probably 14 inches. We made a couple more passes to no avail. Fed up with the lack of Salmon and wanting to give the old 20 Merc a break, we decided to put out a Pike lure or two. As we were reeling in our long lines, with the boat drifting to a stop, my Dad noticed that the flag on the port side board was down. He muckled onto the rod and began to reel it in, only to tighten up into something heavy. “I think I’ve got a fish,” he said just as I whipped around to see the board being dragged around the boat. Being my turn in the rotation to land the fish, he handed the rod to me.
The fish didn’t exactly fight very hard, but, instead, acted like it had no idea that it was hooked. The beast just moved it’s way slowly around the boat, staying deep. After only a minute of fighting or so, she surfaced just 5 yards away, practically motionless. It was a BIG northern with NASTY inflamed scars on it’s side and tail. I leaned back, pulling the fish into net range. As I watched my Dad scoop the fish into the boat I began to appreciate the sheer size of this fatty! She measured 35.5 inches and weighed a solid 9.25 pounds. As I held her limp body in my hands, I could tell that she was exhausted. A mixture of fighting off infections and being brought to the surface had really taken a lot out of her so extra revival time was in order. As I held her by the tail, allowing her to catch her breath, my Dad pointed out to me the mangled size 12 trebles that had barely managed to keep the fish pinned. As I watched her glide slowly away, I was very lucky to even of landed her. “Thank you God!” We finished the day off with a 24.5 inch, Master Angler, Pickerel for my Dad and a hook replacement for my new lucky lure.
After a long debate on where to go on Sunday, we finally made the decision to head back to Keeler for “Salmon Trolling Take 2”. Although we only caught one salmon the day before, we knew that we would have a pretty good chance at catching warm water species if the salmon bite was slow again. We got up at the same time, but seemed to be all set up and trolling a little bit quicker this time. I guess practice makes perfect. It was an absolutely beautiful morning with bluebird skies and flat calm waters. I think that I counted 27 or so boats trolling around Kibbe Point and the first bay. The lake was absolutely PACKED! In order to avoid tangling with other boat’s lines, we were forced to squeeze into the rotation of boats and let the people in front of us pave the way. While we did see one guy catch a really nice fish right next to us, we were unable to draw any strikes for the first couple hours.
It wasn’t until we headed back towards the creek that we had some action. I had put my Green and Silver stick on my long line this time and was holding the rod, ready to reel in my line so that we could make a change over to “Pike” lures. My Dad had slowed the boat down to a crawl and was almost ready to cut the motor and reel in his lines, when I felt a bump on my lure. Instinctually I set the hook and was instantly met with a drag screaming run! The fish was in total control as she bullied her way further and further out from the boat. There was nothing that I could do, but watch her take line for the first minute or so. An 8 lb. test leader and a medium light rod was a recipe for playing the fish fairly lightly. I also knew what a big fish could do to tiny trebles from the day before!
After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the fish’s head turn toward the boat. I was gaining on the fish for the first time in the battle. Suddenly she charged at the boat and I was forced to reel as fast as I could to keep tension on the line. The fight was far from over. Infact this fish made some of the largest runs from the boat that I have seen in a long time! Every time I would catch a rare glimpse of my leader, she would explode into a burning run. 20 yards in, 20 yards out. It wasn’t until after a 3 minute combat with the fish that I saw her for the first time. It was a GIANT pike! Now tail wrapped, I dragged the fish backwards into the net and the rest of her body flopped into it. By this time I was freaking out! The tiny lure was completely engulfed by the northern and I really wasn’t sure how I had landed the fish with the 8 lb. fluoro being raked along her massive rows of razor sharp teeth! She measured in at 37 inches and 11.5 pounds! The biggest freshwater fish of my LIFE and my fourth MA fish of the year. Although we had no other hits the rest of the day, I didn’t care. I had caught the fish of my dreams. A double digit pike!
She had an 8.5 inch Bluegill in her stomach, but decided to go for a 2 3/4 inch stick for her last meal. Just a little bit of a downgrade!
All in all, it was a GREAT start to Spring Break!!
Tight Lines to ALL and God bless, PB
