Finally got a rainy cloudy day to try for Musky in this Dry sunny fall weather. Lake Hudson was the better choice for the South West wind forecast. I fished 4 shorelines good for Musky and stayed with the White 5/0 Dive Banger because the small bass were liking it. I had 5 hits it but only one stayed on.
Switched to a 3/0 White one tried some new shorelines and got more bass hits but only 2 about 13 inches stayed on.
Towards evening I reworked a favorite Musky shoreline. Now pods of Bluegills were cowering together on the surface erupting in a panic as if they were being attacked from below. Not sure if that was the main event or just a distraction. Past where the bluegills were, this Musky hit while I wasn't looking. Had a momentary out of body experience; seeing myself and that it was a Musky that just hit. Back in my own head, the fish powered toward me away from the weed edge toward open water spinning my kayak around. I got him on the reel and the next run he did with only the back quarter of his body under the water, 3/4 of his body out of the water. More runs and three high jumps with his body arching back and forth in slow motion. Didn't think he would hold still for a good picture so just took potographed him still in the net.
I lost my foot long needle nose pliers and he took the big fly deep. Just had the shorter pliers on the popper head and he thrashed, giving me a deep puncture wound on the side of my thumb at the base of the thumb nail and a slice across the tight skin on top of my first finger knuckle. Some how, with that, the hook came out and the popper came out of his mouth. Lucky for both of us the hook was barbless.
The next day, back on the mend with Band Aids and Neosporin.
