My time on Lake Vermilion came to an end much too quickly. I headed home with some great memories and many stories to share, including a few with Uncle Frank. I am happy to report that he finally caught a fish on the Lake.    

The quick version is that Uncle Frank went fishing with a walleye guide and I took the guide’s 14-year-old grandson musky fishing. Uncle Frank didn’t catch a monster musky but he did catch a walleye while hanging out with a real life guide and learning a few tricks of the trade.    

When Grandpa Walleye Guide and Uncle Frank headed to the walleye spot, Talon and I headed to a mid-lake reef. Talon is pretty experienced in the outdoor world with the exception of musky fishing. It wouldn’t be fair to say that he has never caught one without adding that he has never fished for one. All of that was about to change. I loaded up Talon’s fishing rod with a Brown Ghost-tail bucktail with copper blades. It was a one-of-a-kind lure in my tackle box. I had some action with it the previous day and I hoped the lure would stay hot because being there when a newbie catches their first fish is way better. 

“GOT ONE!!!” Talon shouted, breaking the silence in the boat. Now the fight was on and it was a good one. The fish slammed the surface splashing water in every direction. The fish threw its head back and forth trying to rid itself of the Ghost-tail lure but the hooks held. A moment later the fish was in the net. Talon ended the fight with a resounding “YES” to start the celebration of his first musky catch. A high five, a few back slaps and a brief photo session rounded out the celebration with the best part: a successful release. 

Now it’s not often that I get to witness the exact moment when a muskyhead is born. I gave Talon the lure he used to catch the fish and he held that Ghost-tail bucktail like it was a bar of gold. The smile on Talon’s face and the appreciation he showed meant way more to me than if I had caught that fish myself.   

Talon on your first of many great musky catches! 

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal