Trolling around Converse and Whallons today, I thought I'd hooked into a real lunker... a little ways south of split rock the lead-core line fired and after pulling drag a few seconds, line started screaming out of the reel. I was fishing solo, so I took the motor out of gear and used the electric trolling motor so I could control the boat with the foot pedal while fighting the fish. It was pulling hard and tugging the line like a big laker shaking its head. I set the drag as tight as I dared, thinking this fish could easily snap the line. Slowly I pumped the rod up and reeled in when I could.
The minutes went by and the fish was tired but still making it tough to reel in. But it didn't feel normal - the fish was resisting more than fighting. Thinking I had something really big that I didn't want to lose if it tangled itself around the downrigger cable, I held the rod in one hand and reeled up the manual downrigger with the other - the way the fish was just steadily resisting I figured I could get away with that. A little while later I saw the downrigger rod start bouncing - doubles ! But no time for whatever was on that line, I ignored it while continuing to fight the big one. It took a few long runs where it peeled a few colors of lead out of the reel, and again I slowly reeled it back in. I barely glimpsed the fish when it saw the boat and dove down, and again I slowly reeled it back up.
About a half hour after hooking the fish, the boat had drifted across the lake and was closer to Thompson's point than Split Rock. When I finally netted it there, it was no monster. Just a ~29-inch laker that somehow had gotten foul-hooked in the base of the dorsal fin
I guess the hook being there gave it better leverage to swim away and pull on the line, and made reeling it in like catching a tree that fights back. Oh well, it was thrilling while the illusion lasted. The laker was revived and released. Then I went to reset the other line that was on the downrigger. That rod was pointing straight up in the holder and the line looked slack, as expected I assumed the other fish was long gone. Another surprise - fish on ! That other fish had patiently waited on the hook, and I reeled in a small laker.
Aside from that excitement, it was a good day. Went 7 for 10, all lakers. The others were from 15 to 27 inches and came anywhere from 90 feet down on a downrigger to 4 colors of lead. The Country Angler was out there too, and we had the lake to ourselves. The ramp at Converse was slushy, but manageable.
After that dry run, I am now ready for a real lunker !
