I caught my first musky 27 years ago. It was just after sunset when the wind had calmed. I hadn’t seen a fish all day long and I was thinking about just getting off the water and heading home. Then it happened. I know for sure because important things like that instantly make it to long-term memory, unlike grocery shopping or yard clean up chores. Those need to be written on a “to do” list if you expect me to remember. Yep, on that day 27 years ago, I became a musky fisherman for life. 

I had caught my first fish on borrowed gear so like most snake-bitten musky newbies, I jumped in with both feet and immediately started collecting my own. One of the first lures I bought was a black topwater lure with a small prop in the front and two tail spinning green blades that spun in opposite directions on the back. It was so long ago that I had forgotten the official name of it so I decided to call it the Black Cigar.   

The Black Cigar quickly became a favorite lure. It was my go-to lure especially when fishing at night. I wish I would have kept track of how many fish it caught because that lure was both a blessing and a curse. The two biggest fish it caught were 48-inchers and always seemed to have action of some kind. That was the blessing part of it. The curse was that the more fish I caught the more beat up and fragile the lure got. I used wood glue, heat shrink tubes, gorilla duct tape, zip-ties, and prayers to hold the battled lure together. It finally got to the point where I had to retire it for fear that the next set of musky teeth would crush the brittle lure into splinters.  

The Black Cigar literally hung in the Dave Cave for years. Its dual purpose was to provide good memories and to decorate the DC as a battered trophy. Then I had an idea. I talked to Justin Buchholtz of Durand who is the owner of Haymaker Lures, LLC  (Full disclosure, I also have him on retainer as one of my licensed and approved netmen). I explained how the Black Cigar was a “big medicine” lure for me. I asked if he could replace the old beaten-up wood portion. What he gave back to me was a sleek, shiny piece of art that was way better than anything I could have imagined. 

Now this wouldn’t be a great story if it didn’t have a great ending and the photo I have added is worth a thousand words. 

If you are interested in finding out more on Justin Buchholtz and Haymaker Lures, LLC, check him out on Facebook. My take is that he is more artist than lure maker but you can decide for yourself. 

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